The history of coffee cultivation in Colombia can be traced back to the Spanish colonial period in the sixteenth century, and there are several different accounts of how coffee was introduced to this land. From the maritime route through the Caribbean and Central America, to a priest bringing it from the French Antilles in 1808, to the written records of a missionary in 1730, these clues together sketch the early picture of Colombian coffee. Today, Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer after Brazil, and the largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans and washed coffee beans. Its coffee is known for its silky, balanced flavor and has been called "green gold." Coffee has long been integrated into the daily life of Colombians, indispensable three times a day, with cafes everywhere on the streets, and even the writings of Nobel Prize in Literature winner Garcia Marquez are filled with the aroma of coffee. This article will take you through the historical origins of Colombian coffee and its unique regional charm and cultural heritage.
The connection between Colombia and coffee dates back to the period of Spanish colonial rule in the sixteenth century. As for how coffee took root in this land, several different accounts have circulated:
The first account holds that coffee set out from the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, passed through El Salvador in Central America, and entered Colombia by water.
The second account points to 1808, when a priest set out from the French Antilles and, by way of Venezuela, brought coffee beans into Colombian territory for the first time. It is said that Colombia's earliest coffee seeds entered from the direction of Venezuela through the department of Santander.[1]
The third account is related to the Spanish missionary Jose Gumilla. In his book The Illustrated Orinoca, he left the earliest written record of coffee cultivation in Colombia. The book describes what he saw and heard while preaching along the banks of the Meta River in 1730, including mention of the existence of local coffee plantations. By 1787, other missionaries had spread coffee to more places within Colombia.
Colombia is located in the northwest of South America and is a country of beautiful scenery and long history. As early as ancient times, Indigenous peoples multiplied on this land for generations. In 1531, it became a Spanish colony, and it did not win independence until 1819. In 1886, the country adopted its current name in honor of Columbus, the discoverer of the American continent. Colombia has majestic mountains and rivers, charming scenery, a mild spring-like climate, and fresh, pleasant air. It is rich in products, and coffee, flowers, gold, and emeralds are known together as the "four treasures." Today, Colombia is the world's second-largest coffee producer, after Brazil, and is also the world's largest exporter of Arabica coffee beans and the largest exporter of washed coffee beans. Colombian coffee is often described as having a silky smooth texture, ranking first among many coffees for balance, with a soft and smooth mouthfeel, suitable for drinking at any time. It has won praise that other coffees find hard to match: "green gold."
Coffee Culture
Coffee is the pride of Colombians. The topic locals love to chat about most, besides football, in which they once ranked among the world's best, is the coffee that makes them proud. Drinking coffee in Colombia is a pleasure. Not only is it indispensable three times a day, but cafes can be seen everywhere on the streets, bustling and packed from morning to night. There is absolutely no instant coffee in the cafes; it is all freshly brewed and sold on the spot. The waitstaff serve it respectfully to customers in fine porcelain bowls, and sugar is added freely according to one's own taste. The room is filled with aroma, the bowl is sweet and delicious, and the lingering aftertaste is long and memorable, so it is no wonder locals are all addicted to coffee.
At the University of Antioquia, every office has a small sign that says "Coffee Time." If the occupant steps out temporarily, they will most likely hang this sign on the door. This reason seems perfectly justified, even for administrative staff working fixed office hours. And in any restaurant in Medellin, after customers finish their meal, the free drink the staff brings is coffee.[1]
Coffee has penetrated so deeply into Colombia that even a writer like Garcia Marquez regarded it as an indispensable writing material. For example, in One Hundred Years of Solitude, which won him the Nobel Prize in Literature, coffee is mentioned in every chapter. In chapter five, someone laces the bride's coffee with a dose of laudanum in order to obstruct the wedding of the protagonist, Colonel Aureliano Buendia. In chapter six, to show the colonel's miraculous nature, there is this description: "Once his coffee was laced with enough strychnine to kill a horse, and he somehow survived."[1]
Chapter seven describes the colonel's state of mind before execution by firing squad: "He was not afraid, nor did he feel attached; he only thought that this artificial death would prevent him from knowing the outcome of so many unfinished matters, and at this thought he felt a burning pain in his heart. At that moment the cell door opened wide, and the guard came in carrying a cup of coffee." And in No One Writes to the Colonel, said to be Garcia Marquez's own favorite novel, he portrays an impoverished retired military officer, and from the very beginning the reader can feel this hardship: "The colonel opened the coffee tin and found that indeed only a small spoonful of coffee was left."
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
