Colombian Koji Maragogype from El Paraíso a Limited Edition offering

This Colombian Koji Maragogype by El Paraíso is sourced via And Sons.

Used at SA and World Champs

Straight from the International and National Coffee Champs’ Stage, we secured a small amount of this coffee. The coffee was used by Munashe Gumboat the South African Barista Competition. It was then used by Luke Letty when representing South Africa at the World Barista Competition in his milk drink.

El Paraíso

Diego Samuel Bermudez, a visionary coffee processing runs Finca El Paraiso in Cauca, Colombia. His commitment to quality and innovation has led to groundbreaking techniques that redefine the boundaries of flavour.

Finca El Paraíso sits in the Municipality of Piendamó, Corregimiento de Tunía, Vereda los Arados, on the Pan-American Highway between Popayán and Cali. Its climate features a temperate-humid environment with a heavy influence of Pacific winds that impart tropical flavours to their coffee fruits.

Environmental Stewardship

Diego’s commitment extends beyond flavour. He champions environmental leadership, emphasizing water resource management, pollution prevention, soil health, and organic fertilizers. With every cup, you support sustainable practices.

Maragogype

Maragogype, a mutation of Typica trees, boasts one of the largest coffee seeds. Typically, these varieties yield flat flavors due to the seed’s substantial nutrient requirements. If the tree lacks sufficient nutrients, it cannot nourish the seeds adequately, resulting in a cup with fewer aromatic precursors and lower quality. However, this particular Maragogype stands out—it benefits from excellent nutrition, allowing it to fully develop its unique profile.

The Koji Fermentation Process

At the heart of this process lies Koji, a Japanese fungus (Aspergillus oryzae) traditionally used for fermenting soy sauce, amazake, sake, and mirin. But here, it transforms this coffee.

1. Enzyme-Rich Growth: The Koji fungus is cultivated on dried coffee pulp and husks for four days at precisely 35°C. It produces essential enzymes that will shape our coffee’s character during this time.
2. Applied Precision: Once the Koji is ready, it is applied to perfectly ripe coffee cherries. Over the next four days, it grows under aerobic conditions, infusing the beans with unique flavours.
3. Amazake-Inspired Fermentation: Inspired by amazake winemaking, a wet fermentation process is employed. Coffee pulp ferments, extracting malic acid precursors. These compounds become part of the beans, enriching their taste.
4. Gentle Drying: To preserve delicate notes, the beans in dried in a dehumidifier. This step prevents over-oxidation or excessive fermentation.

Experience Excellence

Diego Samuel Bermudez’s coffee is more than a beverage; it’s an exploration. Join us in savouring the fruits of his passion, dedication, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Welcome to the world of El Paraiso – where tradition meets innovation, and every sip tells a remarkable story.

Details of the Coffee

This is a once-in-a-lifetime coffee.

Starting Brews

Transparency Information

Sources

• And sons info page.
• El Paraíso webpage.
• The Coffee Quest webpage.