Did you know that Colombia is the third-largeset coffee exporter in the world? Coffee originally came from Africa, then spread to the Middle East and Europe. Then, colonists eventually brought it to South America in the 17th Century. Colombia received its first coffee bean from Venezuela in the early 18th Century from Jesuit priests.
I certainly didn't know all of that before my tour of the gorgeous Acacias finca, or coffee farm, in the rolling hills of Salento! Our tour guide, Javier, taught us so much! Here he taught us how a coffee plant starts as little seeds, then after a few months grows leaves, and after a few more months are put into pots. These seedlings then become plants, and are then harvested in groups based on their age. Can you see how the plants are divided by columns of dirt pathways? That's how they divide them by age!
I had the pleasure of trying the freshest Colombian coffee that I have ever had. Those little cups of coffee are called espresso, which is the strongest kind of coffee you can get.
Why is Colombian coffee so rico, or rich? Since Colombia is near the equator, coffee can be grown high in the mountains where the beas will mature more slowly. As a result, the coffee bean is harder and more dense, which provides a consistent flavor when roasted. Also, lots of rainfall means the coffee bushes are growing regularly.
