I am  looking for something exciting.

I came to Ethiopia for that reason.

10 years ago, I had my first taste of specialty coffee. I was fascinated by coffee and thrilled like an impressionable young man. But then I got used to it, and took coffee for granted as part of my daily life.

Now I wonder if I am doing a good job.

I would like to find an answer by looking back on my journey in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee.

Our journey began with a check-in at an inn that was lined with large trees with sprawling branches. 

After we were all set, we headed out for the first farm visit of this trip, to  Guji. As we traveled, I spotted several checkpoints, but we passed through them without any trouble because we had already made arrangements in advance.

The trail was very steep. The car shook violently as it alternated between paved and unpaved roads. It took over five hours just to get there.

As we approached the farm, we saw children waving and smiling by the rural road.

I smiled and waved back, moved by their innocence.

I thought about life as I watched the peaceful scenery and their relaxed faces.

Then I remembered the phrase, ” You can only fill what is empty.”

The moment I arrived at the farm in Ethiopia, it finally dawned on me.

I am in Ethiopia.

As I hiked up the mountain and looked around, I saw coffee trees standing all around.

They said that they grow only heirloom varieties and process only two types of coffee: natural and anaerobic.

Unfortunately, the processing was already finished the day we visited, so we were not able to see it.

They said that they hire 300 to 400 pickers during the harvest season.

I tried to soothe away my regret of not being able to see the processing with a cup of coffee. It was so strong that it awakened me.

I cannot remember the last time I drank coffee with such a strong acidity.

I have a feeling this coffee will turn out delicious. If I have a chance, I would love to serve it in our café.

The much-anticipated lunch at the farm was beautifully put together despite the unforgiving circumstances of the farm. The food was perfect.

They say that half of the satisfaction of the trip comes from the food. I can’t wait to see what food this trip has in store, I thought to myself after the meal.

From Guji, we traveled back to Yirga Chefe.

Ethiopia is so large that the roads are not very well maintained, so it takes a lot of time to get from one place to the next.

It was something we were not used to, but the rainbow we saw during the drive brought peace to our hearts.

We arrived later than planned because of rain.

People from Moplaco gave us a pleasant welcome.

We enjoyed the evening with food, coffee, and delightful dancing.

Everyone enjoyed dinner while dancing to the music.

There was a talk show by Moplaco’s owner, Heleanna. It was not on the itinerary, but everyone was so interested that they could not stop asking questions.

It’s been a nice day.

It is already midnight.

I woke up a little after five this morning, and thought I’d go watch the sunrise. But the sky was covered with clouds. So I stayed in bed instead.

We were planning to go on a long drive up to a high altitude. So I decided to go for a walk to get some exercise before breakfast.

Mountains were visible even through the clouds, and the hazy sky was just so beautiful no matter how many times I looked up. It was a very pleasant morning.

After breakfast, we drove two hours on a bumpy road to Carmelo’s cafe, where we had a cupping the day before 🚗

It has been a while since the last time I had a sweet drink and baked sweets! The espresso he served us was also very delicious💘🥺

It was so nice and enviable to see the cycle of harvesting, processing, and roasting the beans themselves to serve at their own cafe☺️

After a refreshing break at the cafe, we set off on another long drive toward La Paz.

The scenery outside the window changed dramatically as we drove our way up the mountain from the green-rich Amazon area.

It was sunny when we arrived in Bolivia.

But today, visibility was very poor due to fog or clouds. It must have been really difficult for the driver😮‍💨🙏

I was worried I might fall sick at an altitude. But I didn’t feel any discomfort as we got to La Paz.

I spent the first few days thinking, “There were plenty more days to go!” But time did fly by after the midway point.

I can’t believe that this trip will be over after tomorrow’s cupping🥺

I’ll write about the final day next!

After eight days, our last day in Bolivia.

When we arrived at Nayra Qata’s dry mill in La Paz, Mr. and Mrs. Juan and many coffee producers had gathered.

Mr. Juan from Nayra Qata and a new curator, Mr. Matteo, cupped about 60 kinds of coffees from small producers and gave feedback.

The producers from all over Bolivia were wondering how the roasters in Japan would evaluate their coffees…? I could see how they were feeling, and I could feel the tremendous tension in their hearts.

The boiling point is low at an altitude of about 4,000 meters, and the liquid cools easily, so we quickly finished the tasting.

With the sun shining and the oxygen thin, we found ourselves exhausted after about 5 hours of cup-taking and giving feedback to the producers… but we were able to find some great coffees.

Among the coffees that left a powerful impression on me were carbonic maceration from Finca Isabel (Fernando Caye and Gabriela), which I visited on the third day, and washed from Licoma WS (Raymundo Ayca ), which I had bought the year before last.

These two coffees were outstanding, even in the harsh environment of La Paz, where it is difficult to taste the flavor. Unfortunately, the production is limited, so I wonder if we will be able to purchase them…but we hope to introduce them at the store.

After organizing the details, we plan to purchase other lots that interest us.

Our coffee tasting was not only about the cupping this day but also about the passion of the producers as they listened intently to our opinions and tried to connect them to the future production of coffee.

Until now, while checking out the producer’s story, we had never lost our focus on quality. Each coffee producer works hard to make quality coffee in different environments and circumstances. We roasters evaluate and purchase them, and there is always a bias in terms of popularity.

This time, I met many producers and experienced their enthusiasm and efforts. As a result, it became clear that I wanted to buy coffee because of its value based on quality and because I liked the producer’s personality. It gave me such a sense of worth. These are the values that came into being.

If possible, I want to work together to make better coffee by nurturing our relationship every year. That is how I feel now.

This sentiment would have never been born if I had not come to Bolivia. It will be an opportunity for me to take a big step forward in my career in coffee.

I want to thank TYPICA for this precious opportunity, all the Bolivian producers who welcomed us in the busy harvest season, and all the curators and supporters.

We are still a small coffee shop, but we will surely grow and return the favor.

And to all the roasters, thank you so much for the opportunity to tour Bolivia with us and share so many coffee stories with us! I have laughed so much during these eight days that my facial muscles are sore.

I look forward to seeing you again next month in Japan as I head off to Peru!

See you soon 👋

Everything from growing the coffee to serving a cup is done in-house…! From seed to cup in the truest sense of the word…!

I ordered an espresso, and Deysi personally brewed it for me 😌.

It was my first espresso in Bolivia, and it was amazing! It was gorgeous and a pleasant cup with a refreshing citrusy acidity and sweetness 🍊.

It was a valuable experience for me. I don’t think you can do this very often in Japan☺!

Thank you so much to Mr. Carmelo, Deysi, and everyone at the farm and cafe for these past two days!

Muchas gracias！

After leaving Agricafe, we headed to a coffee farm in the Loa district at an altitude of 1,800 meters.

The Carmelo and Daysi families, who have been working as coffee producers for the longest time in Bolivia, and Andy of 4 Llamas, an up-and-coming coffee producer, live next door to each other, and each of them is particular about the coffee they make.

Having spent the last two days tasting the finest coffees in the world, I was anxious to see what kind I could expect to find in a quiet village far from the city.

Over the past three years, with the support of TYPICA, Mr. Carmelo’s farm has added airy drying beds and a drying room that can maintain a good drying environment. That has further improved the quality of the already good coffee.

The coffee I tasted was surprisingly sweet, with beautiful soft acidity. It was a delicious coffee with a gentle, enveloping feeling different from the sophisticated coffee served in the city😌

Mr. Carmelo was the first Bolivian coffee producer to use the Kenyan double-washed process, and he is the only one who continues to do so. That is the reason why he can produce unique flavors.

On the other hand, Andy’s mission is to “design” coffee flavors, making unique and distinctive coffees.

I found it interesting that Mr. Carmelo and his team’s coffees had an overall citrus flavor, while Andy’s coffees had apple and lactic acid flavors. It was hard to believe that the coffees were grown in the same area and were so diverse in flavor ☕️.

Perhaps there will come a time when competitors from all over the world will work with Andy to design the coffee beans they use in competitions 😉.

When we were cupping, Mr. Carmelo and Andy looked very anxious, as if they were very nervous, thinking, ‘How is my coffee going to be evaluated?

Their life and livelihood would completely change if their coffee was evaluated as delicious and that was reflected in the coffee price. At the same time, it was clear that the producers were earnestly listening to the feedback on how we felt. They were determined to make even more delicious coffee next year and onward. We were very impressed with the coffee that we found to be excellent.

We look forward to introducing the coffees we found to be excellent to everyone in Aomori 😉.

Thank you so much, Mr. Carmelo, Ms. Deysi, Andy, everyone at ４Llamas, and everyone in the Loa area! We will be back 👋

From there, we will travel up the Andes Mountains to an altitude of about 600 meters above sea level.

The highest point along the way rises to 4,600 meters.

 There is no way to describe the difference in altitude, actually looking at the numbers alone.

You will feel a little dizzy and breathless even if you take anti-altitude sickness medication.

Until I got used to it, I consciously repeated deep breaths and managed to keep myself regular.

That is an obstacle that I must overcome in Bolivia.

The last mission of this trip consists of a visit to Juan’s dry mill in La Paz and cupping.

The dry mill has been expanded to a larger scale and is a beautiful facility.

The only problem was that there was still a slight smell of paint in the air, so we hastily decided to do the cupping outside instead of indoors.

We cupped under the blue sky at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, something you can only experience in Bolivia.

Since the boiling point is 80℃, it takes 4 minutes to break the crust after pouring the hot water, and even if we start cupping immediately, it is still lukewarm…

About as lukewarm as a cup that gets hot water 20 minutes earlier, under normal conditions.

In the unusual situation, we cupped 55 coffees.

Furthermore, the producers observed the cupping.

They were not from the neighborhood but had traveled a long way to be here.

They are here to listen to our feedback.

It is exciting to see what kind of cups they will be impressed with, but at the same time, it is a great responsibility for us.

After each session, we give them feedback. I wonder how many sessions we did?

I can’t recall anymore, but it took about 5 hours.

Some of the cups were very impressive!

I am excited that one day we will be able to introduce them in Japan.

We had lunch with everyone at the end of the session and finished with a commemorative photo.

That was the end of our trip to Bolivia.

Everything about the eight days on the farm was exciting and inspiring. The hardships along the way, as well as the comfort and discomfort of the hotel, were a good experience.

The food and experience were good, and I felt utterly satisfied and had a sense of accomplishment.

Thank you very much.

Finca Las Alasitas

I visited “Las Alasitas,” known as one of the world’s most beautiful and delicious coffee-producing farms.

It truly is like something out of a movie…the paradise of life.

Don Carlos, the longest-serving Agricafe employee, gave us a tour of the farm and let us try some of the Geisha coffee cherries he had harvested. They tasted like lychee and had a lingering hint of sweetness that stayed in my mouth for the rest of the day.

For lunch,  Rodrigo, who manages the farm, served us an excellent Argentine-style barbecue, and we enjoyed the big meat served with Bolivian wine while admiring the beautiful scenery*.

Alasitas Cup 2022

One of the staff members at the Agricafe was wearing a cool T-shirt, and someone muttered, ” I want one of those…”, triggering a coffee brewing competition to win a prize held at Alasitas Farm…!

(The winner later won a pound of Alasitas Estate’s Geisha green beans.)

Six coffee brewers entered the competition and competed in a tournament-style extraction.

It proved difficult but very enjoyable to brew the same coffee in a different environment, coffee mills, and brewing equipment from the usual.

I managed to make it to the finals, and my opponent was Mr. Sakashita, who won 3rd place in Japan at the 2017 Aeropress competition. Since I also finished 3rd the following year, I definitely can’t lose. So the fight is on 🔥.

I experienced an accident halfway through the competition when the scale changed from g to oz, which made me panic, but….

As a result… I came out as the winner 🏅 and became the first champion 🙌!

Our judges were the Rodríguez  family and Mai Suzuki, who organizes the Aeropress Championship in Bolivia, so I was nervous… but I’m glad I was able to show the prowess of the Tohoku region ✨.

The rare Geisha from Alasitas Farm is coming, and I can’t wait to drink it with everyone in Aomori 😉.

Time to say goodbye!

The dream-like time passed quickly as we said goodbye to the Rodríguez  family and everyone at Agricafe.

Although it was only for two short days, we had a truly wonderful time experiencing the efforts of Bolivia’s leading companies and cupping many coffees.

Currently, AgriCafe only handles one type of coffee, but we encountered many impressive coffees. So we plan to introduce a few more types of coffee to everyone next year 😌.

If we keep this up, we may end up specializing in Bolivian coffee 🤔.

Muchas gracias！Thank you so much to the Rodríguez  family and everyone at Agricafe, Muchas gracias!

Today, we took a break from farm visits and relaxed.

Ever since we arrived in Bolivia from Japan, there has been some program every day.

We had to travel long hours, sleep in unfamiliar beds, eat exotic food, and visit farms at a height that borders on intermediate-level mountaineering.

Above all, it was my first time in South America. The other side of Japan.

I was more tired than I had imagined.

So, at the suggestion of everyone at Cultivar, we went out to eat ceviche for lunch today.

Ceviche is a Peruvian specialty, and it is delicious.

A good meal with everyone around is an enjoyable time.

After the meal, we had a coffee break at a nearby cafe.

It was a relaxing day with the cafe barista and everyone else over a cup of coffee.

Above all, I would like to thank Theadros, Cesar, and Drayedi of Cultivar for all they do for us every day, despite their busy harvest season and QC.

Tomorrow is the last day of this long trip.

I was beginning to fall in love with the city of Jaén .

We made it to an agri-cafe that has captivated coffee lovers worldwide with visitors from many countries 😌.

We were warmly welcomed by Pedro, the company’s founder, Pablo (his son), who manages the farms and small producers and is responsible for the process; and Daniela (his daughter), who is in charge of quality control and customer contact worldwide.

I had always wanted to visit the Agricafé cupping lab because of its location, a place any coffee maker would dream of visiting. However, when I entered the lab, the facility was even more sophisticated and impressive than I had imagined 😭.

In the morning, we cupped (tasted) a small producer’s lot in the Caranavi district and another from Finca Rodríguez  in the Samaipata district. It was our first cupping on day 4!

All 14 coffees prepared were of excellent quality, and everyone shared and discussed their favorite lot numbers with each other 😌.

Afterward, we had lunch and toasted with Bolivian wine before playing a board game of soccer with the Agri-Cafe folks. That was so much fun…! Even if we don’t speak the same language, I felt we could get to know each other by playing together＊.

In the afternoon, we visited a wet mill (the site where coffee is produced and processed). A biologist stationed in the mill kept track of everything, controlling the number of microorganisms and changes in the number of bacteria that occurred in the coffee during each lot’s refining process. Amazing!

Currently, almost 100% of the coffee refined at AgriCafe gets washed using anaerobic fermentation (anaerobic). This process is a recent trend, but many find the fermentation smell and intense flavors unpleasant; even I could have had a better impression of it. Moreover, in the absence of research data, anaerobic fermentation taught me that there is a risk of potentially harmful ingredients for the drinkers of that coffee.

However, at Agricafe, the cherries are thoroughly cleaned and sterilized after harvest to minimize any inhibitors in the process. Then, anaerobic fermentation is conducted with the terroir of the soil and the variety in mind.

”It’s not just about experimentation, but about research and controlling the process.” These words showed the Rodriguez family’s persistent curiosity and pride in Bolivia as a coffee-producing country.

Thank you very much everyone at Agricafe, for this valuable experience.

I heard there are many experiences available at Agricafe today as well. I was so excited that I woke up at 3:00 in the morning lol.

 After leaving Finca Isabel, we headed to Mr. Celso’s Golondrina Farm in the Bolinda district.

 The farm won first place in the 2019 President’s Cup (a green bean quality competition) and has won top prizes many times before.

 Golondrina means “swallow” in Spanish. As the name implies, there are swallow nests on the farm, and several wild birds flutter around.

 When we arrived at the plantation, we got treated to a cup of iced tea brewed with Geisha cascara (dried coffee cherries extracted from the cascara). I don’t know how to describe the taste; I found the aroma sweet and unique, like Asada candy, and the flavor was like drinking an elegant lemon tea, What a luxurious experience.

Mr. Celso told us that the landowner suddenly had to give up the farm due to old age and a poor harvest. Although he had first produced 240 bags (one bag weighs about 60 kg), he could only harvest 40 this year.

 He told us that he is now working hard while saving money to get the land back into his own hands, which he has been doing for over 20 years.

 We then moved to the Copacabana district. There, we saw a plot of land planted with coffee that had won the President’s Cup.

 After desperately climbing up the hill, nearly tumbling down the steep slope (it was scary), we arrived at a place with a spectacular view…!

 Not to make assumptions, but the coffee grown in this place must surely be great. But, of course, that is because there was such an overwhelming atmosphere.

 I was impressed by Mr. Celso’s efforts to continue growing coffee without giving up, even under such circumstances.  The only way we contribute to the coffee industry is by purchasing coffee, even if only a little, so we decided to put in more effort and buy more coffee.

 Thank you so much, Mr. Celso and everyone at the plantation, for this valuable experience!