El Suspiro del Catador

Since winning the Taza de Excelencia (Cup of Excellence) in May 2012, Don Artemio Zapata’s Tejeda’s life has changed. He still lives in Pacho Viejo, the small village where he grew up and raised his family, and still operates the coffee plantations that he inherited fro his parents. However, he is now internationally recognized for producing the world’s finest roasted coffee.

The Taza de Excelencia is an international coffee tasting competition that was hosted in Mexico for the first time this year. The winning coffees are chosen through a stiff competition by national and international judges who are professional trained Q-graders (similar to wine sommeliers). Most significantly for Veracruz, this competition brought international recognition to the high-quality coffee of this region.

I was fortunate to spend the day with Don Artemio and visit his coffee plantation. He is a spirited entrepreneur and cares deeply about the quality of his coffee. With the increased revenue from winning the competition, he and his wife recently opened the first coffee shop in Pacho Viejo. He still operates the coffee plantation almost single-handedly, with the exception of harvest season when he hires a few extra helpers. His hope is that his son or daughter will eventually take over the business.

As we walked through his coffee plantation, he explained how this place is like his sanctuary. He comes here to escape the outside world and contemplate the natural beauty. “Even the ground is alive,” he says, noting the billions of living organisms in the soil. He tries to avoid using any pesticides or chemicals because it takes away from the natural excellence of his coffee. Pride, I could see, is what makes his coffee taste so good.

He sent me off with a small ziplock bag of ripe coffee berries. I tried to protest, explained that airport security would never let me through. “Just tell them you need to do a little scientific experience,” he reassured, “and that you want to bring home the taste and aroma of Pancho Viejo.”