ZAVALA PARAINEMA | HONDURAS

Origin: La Lima, Comayagua, Honduras

Producer: Oswald Zavala

Variety: Parainema

Process: Washed

Tasting Notes: Chinotto, Root Beer, Cream, Lime Zest

Roast: Light-Medium

Coffee Description: The processing of this coffee begins with the manual picking of the coffee cherries and separating the ripest cherries from the rest. The ripe cherries are then submerged in water to remove the lower density cherries that float. The higher density and higher quality coffee cherries are removed from the water after about 5 minutes and then the cherries are de-pulped. After de-pulping, the coffee is sorted by a screen to once again classify the coffee by quality. The coffee and mucilage are fermented in a tank for 36 hours. The coffee is then washed and, once again, sorted by density in a water channel to provide one more quality control filter. The last step is drying. This is done in solar dryers, in which the coffee is protected by the shade and exposed to the wind. The coffee is moved every hour – except at night – as it dries. Drying is carried out between 20 and 30 days, until reaching a humidity level of 11%.

Farm Information: Oswald had a dream to one day become a coffee farmer. His entire family has produced coffee for generations, so from a young age, he was determined and motivated to be an exceptional coffee farmer. That dream included supporting his family by earning additional income through producing higher quality coffee. So today, we are thrilled to say that we can play a role in helping Oswald achieve his goal. Oswald's mission is to learn from, and collaborate with, other coffee producers. According to Oswald, the main challenges he confronts on his road to produce high quality coffee are low prices in the local market and the unpredictability created by the changing climate. In an effort to protect the environment, Oswald focuses on sustainable farming practices by avoiding the use of herbicides and other potentially harmful chemicals. He also uses coffee pulp as organic fertilizer and has planted shade trees for crop diversity and ecological health. He is a proponent of direct trade and he truly loves coffee as a producer and consumer. Oswald usually drinks 5 cups of coffee per day, prepared with milk and sugar. Oswald says that high quality coffee starts with the basics. He focuses on maintaining the health and productivity of his farm by properly executing technical aspects, such as pruning and fertilizing sufficiently and at the right time.