Coffee from Vilcabamba and Loja
My favorite coffee is the one that my mom grows on our farm in Vilcabamba. It’s not a large farm, but there are enough coffee plants that we get enough coffee for family and friends. I am by no means a coffee expert or connoisseur, and to a coffee snob this might not be the best coffee. However, for me personally the coffee from Vilcabamba is the best, it’s the coffee that as soon as I smell or taste it, it brings back memories. I love that it’s very smooth and hasn’t been over-roasted (like most coffee you get in the US). This doesn’t mean it isn’t strong or is lacking in caffeine – completely the opposite, it will definitely get you caffeinated.
I don’t know if it’s the climate, the perfect altitude, or the roasting, or all, but the coffee in Vilcabamba, and the province of Loja in general, is so good. It could also be the way that it’s brewed, using a cloth filter (which we call a chucho – yes that’s another word for a woman’s breast). There are certain meals, including humitas, tamales, empanadas or just a freshly baked piece of bread, that are not complete without my cafecito lojano.
