THE ORIGIN REPORT
Mexico NKG Bloom Zongolica
Region: Zongolica, Veracruz
Elevation: 1250-1700 MASL
Varietal: Caturra, Catuai, Sarchimor, Marsellesa
Process: Washed
Say it with us... Women Power Zongolica! This coffee comes from Mexico and is currently our darkest roast available. In addition to being a deliciously smooth and chocolatey selection, we're excited to share that this coffee is grown and produced by a team of 20 women! This has earned it the nickname "WPZ" or "Women Power Zongolica!" We hope you enjoy this coffee as much as we do.
From our trade partners, Interamerican Coffee: WPZ comes from women in the Zongolica region of Veracruz, Mexico. The region is deeply influenced by the rich, ancestral heritage of its people, most of whom identify as part of the Nahuas indigenous group. Across generations, the Nahuas have shared their language and wisdom about plants, rivers, animals, mountains, the planet and the universe through storytelling by their elders.
Coffee farms in Zongolica are agro-ecosystems, meaning the farms take into account the impact of the farming well beyond the farm and work to balance the energy and nutrients to preserve the region’s biodiversity. Intercropping and forest conservation are among the practiced tactics.
The coffee was pulped with hand-cranked de-pulpers, washed and dried on patios for 15 days. Twenty producers contributed to this lot, and each adhered to the same practices on her own farm.
NKG BLOOM, Por Más Café
The women who contributed to WPZ are also part of NKG BLOOM, an initiative of Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) to ensure the long-term viability of green coffee supplies and provide smallholder farmers with the opportunities and resources they need to run their farms at full potential and enter pathways out of poverty.
Por Más Café, now part of NKG BLOOM, was created by NKG export company Exportadora de Café California (ECC) in 2014, to address the coffee rust crisis. Since then, 4,520 producers have benefitted from the program, more than 5,300 hectares of coffee have been renovated, $11.2 million U.S. has been offered in financing and more than $34 million has been invested in farm renovations.
Now even more holistic, NKG BLOOM provides custom service packages to producers that may include financing, high-quality inputs, seedlings, agronomy and business training, information services, access to markets and new coffee technologies.
What is Washed Process Coffee? Washed processing, also known as wet processing, is a method that involves removing the fruit layers of the coffee cherry before drying. Traditionally, water is used to wash off the skin and mucilage of the cherry. First, the coffee is sorted through to remove any damaged or unripe cherries. From there, the skin of the fruit is removed, down to the mucilage layer. The fruits are then fermented in large water tanks for up to 24 hours, during which time the mucilage layer is broken down. After fermentation, the beans are washed, removing the mucilage layer. Finally, the beans are dried, typically on patios in the sun. Because the sugars of the mucilage layer have been removed, washed coffees tend to have a very “clean” flavor, with fresh acidity.