Today, Perú celebrates the National Day of Peruvian Coffee, and its has much to celebrate indeed.
Though its coffee struggles with the feared roya fungus and with climate change, nonetheless, Peruvian coffee producers, middle men, and baristas, along with local, regional, and national governments have been working to improve the quality of the coffee. Instead of having a model solely of mass sale going into mass production of mediocre coffee, Perú is increasingly casting its fate as a provider of organic coffee, single origin coffee, producer labels, and estate coffees.
Currently the country is the eighth largest exporter of coffee in the world and its coffee is increasingly known for its quality and
floral characteristics. The coffee is obtaining more and more recognition in international competitions. About half of the country’s coffee is exported to Europe.
One goal of the day is to promote coffee consumption within Perú, especially of Peruvian coffee. While Peruvians have been increasingly relying on instant coffee, with this day their is a push to buy local, to try fresh roasted and fresh ground, either at home or in one of the number of fine coffee shops that are springing up in the country’s cities.
One of these is Café D’wasi, Espaderos Street 160 in Cusco, run by coffee producer and entrepreneur Jhon Carrasco Cardenas. Here you can have one of the finest cups of coffee in a city that, thanks to the work of people like Carrasco, the owners of the Coffee Museum, and it tireless promoters of coffee, the Three Monkeys recognized this year in the country’s leading daily, El Comercio, the quality of coffee in Cusco’s restaurants, cafés and coffee houses is on the rise.
To honor the day, the giant of Coffee, Starbucks, is offering free coffee to customers that bring their own cups. Other events are planned throughout the country.
