Today we were able to experience the Guatemalan culture by meeting with local artisans. De La Gente is a group that works with coffee farmers and artists to create cultural exchanges and change lives by generating economic opportunity. This group provides loans, education and tools so that people can create sustainable businesses to help support their families.
Many years
ago some of the Antigua farmers formed a cooperative to export coffee to the
U.S. Initially
there were 6 members and over time the number has grown. Five of the members
are women, providing a good opportunity for their advance. Our tour was
given by two of the founding members who guided us on a 20 minute hike through
cobblestone streets and up dirt mountain roads to see their coffee
plantation. Amidst thousands of coffee
trees we learned about the process of growing coffee trees and the work
entailed to turn it into the java we love so much. Coffee beans are harvested from December to
March so we were just in time to help with picking. On average, a farmer can pick up to 50 pounds
of beans in an hour and while we tried our best, we found that we still need
more practice!
Picking coffee berries
After
picking the beans we returned to one of the farmer’s home to continue the
process of making coffee. We sorted the berries to ensure we picked only the
ripe red ones and then removed the outer part of the bean by pedaling a bike
connected to a machine to “deshell” them. From 100 pounds of berries the yield
is approximately 20 pounds of beans, so unfortunately a lot of weight is lost
by removing the shell. The remaining coffee
beans were white and covered with a sticky “honey”. Next, the beans dry for
24-48 hours and then it is time for roasting. With Lidia, the daughter of the
house, we were able to roast some dry beans over an open flame as was done in
the old days. Then Lidia showed us how to hand grind them using a tool similar
to a rolling pin made of coarse stone rolled on a curved, rough stone tray. Finally the ground coffee was ready to be
added to boiling water so that we could enjoy it. The finished product was a
masterpiece of flavors and a deep appreciation of all of the hard work that
went into making it. There are many
local farms that have automated the process now but these farmers have stuck to
a handcrafted brew that is far superior to other coffees you can purchase.
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| "Deshelling" the coffee beans |
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| Coffee bean pickers |
After a delicious lunch with the farmers, we split into
three groups and were able to choose from different activities to participate
in. One group sewed purses from hand-woven Guatemalan fabric, another group
pounded metal to create animal iron art, and the last group created handmade
serving trays made out of Guatemalan wood and old Guatemalan trajes (dresses). With help from the artisans, the final
products are all treasured souvenirs that will remind us in years to come of
our experience with the local artists.
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| Master Artisans |
The entire group convened for an evening out at the El
Frijol Feliz cooking school. The restaurant was family owned and the recipes
have been passed from generation to generation. We were divided into two groups
and shown how to create traditional Guatemalan fare. We mashed avocados, learned how to make
tortillas, and sliced, boiled, mashed and fried plantains into a dessert filled
with chocolate inside. Our menu included
Pepian (a Guatemalan stew), tamales, corn tortillas, chile rellenos, guacamole, two plantain
desserts and other authentic Guatemalan dishes.
The result was a feast of delicious foods and flavors, and above all
FUN!
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| Ending another wonderful day with amazing people |
Through all of our experiences today, we learned that
perfection takes time and working together brings great joy.
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