Professional Coffee Tasting Training for a Guatemalan Community

By Johanna Montalvo, F2F Volunteer in March 2023

About the assignment: Johanna Montalvo supported APOLO as a Professional Coffee Taster. Ms. Montalvo trained APOLO staff in cupping processes as well as the techniques and parameters to determine the quality of the coffee as well as the best barista techniques. Ms. Montalvo is a certified Q grader and has been a Specialty Coffee Educator for the last 5 years. 

Olopa is a small town in Guatemala, its name comes from the Nahuatl language and it means “river of corn hearts.”

Its warm climate, like its people, welcomed me in a festive atmosphere. Since my visit coincided with the days of the traditional fair dedicated to the Divina Pastora, I got to enjoy its streets filled with color, music, food and traditional treats.

I had the honor of being selected by Partners of the Americas in their
Farmer to Farmer program as a professional coffee taster volunteer, to deliver training to the members of APOLO (Association of Producers of Olopa), in cupping protocols and good practices, as well as the implementation of parameters to evaluate the quality and profile of their coffees to offer them in the market.

Coffee has given me incredible opportunities in my life; from learning to use my senses consciously and connecting with professional and passionate people in different areas to taking my skills to the limit and challenging myself to keep learning, but above it all, it has helped me keep a connection with my Latin origins, which for me has been an immense opportunity not only to share knowledge, but also to give something back for everything I have received from this industry.

The first week passed quickly with innumerable guided cuppings and different sensory practices in order to develop the tasting skills of the members of the association. While I contributed with my technical experience and knowledge of the international market, I also learned from the day-to-day challenges to meet these demands. The steps to carry out a cupping began with the collection of the sample in the drying station and then milling before roasting. The intermittent rains caused some power outages and cuts on the water services, which often changed our schedule.

Olopa smells like coffee, not only the aroma that comes from the caramelization of roasted coffee or when we brew the first coffee in the morning, but also by the aroma of its flowers in the fields, as well as that of cherries drying in the patios.

In the morning I woke up to the singing of birds, the town was filled with joyful music played for the holidays and in the drying station I listened to the sound of parchment coffee being stirred. Its coffees are sweet as honey, just like its bananas, each meal is accompanied by fresh tortillas of which I can taste the corn that gives it its name. Its landscapes bordered by mountains and the greenery of the fields contrast with the colors of the typical costumes of the people. Everything I see, smell and taste get saved in my memory, like an encyclopedia of senses I can take back home.

The second week we made an outreach to the community and involved the next generations. The doors of the Association were opened for college students in the Agroindustries career, with whom we shared an intro to cupping. Many of them grew up in coffee-growing families, yet they have never had the opportunity to experience a cupping before, despite the fact that this constitutes as a critical step both for identifying defects and problems in the production processes and decision-making in the production process, stage of purchase and consumption.

During my visit, I was also able to give a sensory skills workshop for boys and girls who are children of producers in order to awaken their interest and curiosity about coffee. They were very excited to learn more about coffee and expressed their desire to continue training to become professional coffee tasters.

Between visits to farms, workshops, cupping and sharing with the people of Olopa, the days passed quickly, my visit was coming to the end. The association participants finished their training with the ability to evaluate and recognize the different flavor profiles and consistency in their coffees, they developed an international cupping language to communicate easily in the international market. This also raised their confidence and motivated them to continue disseminating this knowledge to more people in the community.

The last day I closed my visit with a round table with members of APOLO who, with their work and dedication, have filled me with inspiration and whom I thank for their hospitality and the time we shared.