Guatemala Coban - Rabinal Coop Chichupac *TOP LOT*

PRODUCTION

Cobán, also known as the Imperial City, is located 211 kilometers north of Guatemala in the department of Alta Verapaz. It stands out for its climatic diversity due to the variety of altitudes in the region, from 120 to 1,800 meters above sea level. This generates microclimates ideal for the cultivation of great coffee. The land in the region is very fertile and farmers grow not only coffee but cardamom, achiote, cacao, pepper, citrus, avocado, tomato, cauliflower, and lettuce, corn, beans, hot peppers, and cereals such as rice. Across the department there are 27,461 hectares of coffee farms from which approximately 364,427 quintals of parchment are produced per year. The different microclimates favor the production of diverse varieties. At high altitudes they grow Bourbon, Maragogype, Caturra, Pache and Catuaí. Different types of Catimor: Anacafe 90, Costa Rica 95, Sarchimor are grown at slightly lower altitudes. Cobán coffee stands out worldwide for its fruity notes, fine and well-balanced body, with a pleasant aroma.

THE REGION

Its name originates from the Mayan language Q'eqchi' Cob'an which means "Cob" cloudy and "an" over there, which translates as Cloudy Place or Over there in the Cloudy. The department of Alta Verapaz is one of the most mountainous regions of the country, with green landscapes that have a unique charm thanks to its exquisite wealth of flora and fauna. The population is mostly indigenous. Women wear beautiful handmade typical clothing consisting of güipil and a cotton skirt woven in threads. They speak Q'eqchi' and Poqomchí', their typical food is caldo de chunto which is a turkey soup prepared with ground up pumpkin seed, cilantro and spicy chile cobanero. Alta Verapaz is one of the departments that still preserves its traditions. One of the most important is the election of Queen Rabin Ajaw that takes place in Cobán. In 2010 this tradition was declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation. This is a contest where the representative of indigenous beauty is chosen with the purpose of strengthening cultural identity and Mayan customs. In this region, many families are dedicated to coffee cultivation tending small pieces of land. At every step there are many stories to be told and many traditions behind each farm, but there is one very popular story at the region, the story began many years ago since the colonial era, is about a horrifying creature that inhabited the coffee plantations, named “Q’eq” in q’eqchi’ – the most common local language in Coban, the Q’eq was a small and dark man who appeared at night in coffee fields, was a kind of evil spirit, specially to the farm workers who leave their ranches during the night to steal the coffee bean. The Q’eq was an unconditional servant to the farm’s owner, this mythological creature protected the lands, from robbery and invasions. Nowadays, many farmers still believe in this legend, so, no one dares to walk through the coffee fields at night, especially the children.