São Paulo – Americans, Japanese and Europeans have already discovered that, despite the greater global production of coffee, Brazil has some of the best grains. For this reason, coffee buyers are travelling to the country after bags of coffee from “microlots”, grain cultivated in exceptional conditions. Now, Brazilians and Arabs have discovered this grain.
Responsible for the Coffee Preparation Centre at the Coffee Museum, in Santos, barist André Almeida explained that coffees made out of grain from microlots – the so-called special coffees – have characteristics that cannot be found in coffee made with grains produced in large scale.
"It is sweeter, has more body, is more sophisticated and its aromas and flavour show themselves in a more pleasing manner,” he said. At the Coffee Museum, a cup of espresso coffee is sold for 3 Brazilian reals (US$ 1.90). Currently, the Coffee Museum serves espressos with special coffees made by Chácara Boa Vista, in Piraju (308 kilometres away from the city of São Paulo), for 12 reals (US$ 7.60).
To become more exclusive and different, the special grain receives extra care, starting with the choice of the soil. Producers select the highest regions of their farms to plant the best seeds. Altitudes over 600 metres offer better conditions for the cultivation as that makes the proliferation of pests more difficult. The barist at Octavio Café, Silvia Magalhães, says that higher altitudes make coffee take longer to mature. The result: exclusive grain that produces no more than three 60 kilogram bags each.
Alfredo Lisboa and José Emílio Lisboa are the farmers who own Chácara Boa Vista, and sell bags of special Arabica coffee at the Coffee Museum. Alfredo says that the secret for production of higher quality grain is to plant little and pay great attention to the harvest. The Chácara Boa Vista coffees are planted at an altitude of 620 metres to 650 metres. "We are careful; we choose the fruit we pick. If the crop is mechanised, you have to regulate the machines very carefully,” said Alfredo.
Those who have already seen the higher quality of this kind of grain are the Arabs. After negotiating in 2009, Café Cristina – which cultivates its grain in Cristina, in the South of Minas Gerais – opened a shop with its brand in Ras Al-Khaimah, in the United Arab Emirates. The company partner and director, Pedro Lisboa, said that the total exported to the emirate in 2010 – five tonnes – has already paid for the investment made.
"There was demand among the Arabs. I met with them and we closed a deal. Our contract is for exclusivity in countries in the GCC (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the Emirates and Oman),” said the businessman. Starting with this shop, the company distributes coffee at hotels and tourist points in the emirate.
The price of this kind of grain escapes that of Arabica coffee on the global market. It is more expensive as production is limited and is often sold at auctions. At the events, there is a minimum price, but not a maximum price. “One bag of coffee currently goes for approximately 600 reals (US$ 380). One bag of special coffee starts at 800 reals (US$ 510) and may rise as high as 10,000 reals (US$ 6,400),” said Silvia. Recently, she bought a bag from microlots for 7,100 reals (US$ 4,500), produced in the Itaí region (301 kilometres away from the city of São Paulo).
Of the initial 60 kilograms, after toasting the bag will weigh approximately 50 kg. Each kilogram of coffee results in approximately 100 cups. "This coffee may be sold for 11.50 a cup (US$ 7.30). Generally, people consume this product at special moments, for sampling,” said Silvia.
More careful consumption of special coffee does not mean that the stocks take a long time to finish. The Coffee Museum bought two bags of the coffee made in Piraju. Those interested in trying it cannot take long, as we only have half of the second bag.
Silvia said that the consumption of special coffee varies, but she sells, on average, 20 cups a day at Octavio Café. And the coordinator of the Coffee Preparation Centre at the Coffee Industry Union (Sindicafé-SP), Cleia Junqueira, said that this "fashion" of microlots is good for the market. “Who wins with that? Producers who have their product more appreciated, the coffee shop, that gests greater promotion of its brand and the trade of a higher value added product, and best of all – the consumer, who learns about and appreciates coffee.”
Where to drink
Coffee Museum
R. XV de Novembro, 95, Centro, Santos.
Tel.: (+55 13) 3213-1750
Site: www.museudocafe.org.br
Octavio Café
Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2.996, Jd. Paulistano, São Paulo.
Tel.: (+55 11) 3074-0110
Site: www.octaviocafe.com
Coffeelab
R. Fradique Coutinho, 1.340, Vila Madalena, São Paulo.
Tel.: (+55 11) 3375-7400
Site: www.coffeelab.com.br
*Translated by Mark Ament
