Producer Info
Twenty years ago, Armando and Leonor Coca had less than a quarter of a hectare, but today they own 5 hectares. Their two older sons now have their own plots as well. Coffee has really been at the heart of the family’s journey, helping them build a stable livelihood, and it is still ongoing, with more projects coming up.
Since finding a higher paying market the couple has been experimenting with fermentation, while keeping the traditional washed processing method. Minga brings support through cupping and sensory feedback. So far the process leading to the cleanest, sweet and fruity profile is to oxidate cherries for 36 hours before depulping, and then ferment the depulped seeds aerobically for another 50 hours. This differs from the 24h fermentation in open tank they used to do for all their coffees.
In Huila, there seems to be an unusually high number of varieties with mysterious origins and unique flavor profiles, and papayo is one of them.
Papayo doesn’t have a confirmed genetic background, so there’s plenty of speculation about where it comes from. Some believe it’s a mutation of Pink Bourbon or Caturra; others say it’s an Ethiopian landrace that originated from a now-defunct research farm in Huila. Some also claim it’s the same as the Ombligón variety — another cultivar with no verified genetic lineage.
What we know for sure is that its name comes from the cherry’s pointed, oval shape, which resembles a papaya. The beans are dense and large. The yields of cherries per tree are high, and the trees don’t grow very tall which makes it appealing to many producers. In the cup, papayo can produce very fruity flavours, even spciy and savoury sometimes. It is very complex, which is why it’s been chosen multiple times on international barista competition stages.
Armando and Leonor built their coffee business from the ground up. They started with just a quarter hectare 20 years ago and today own and manage five hectares. They’re now planning to buy two more, right next to El Micelio — Laura and William’s farm — which will soon make them Minga’s direct neighbors!
The couple has four children, two of whom now run their own coffee farms and businesses in the same municipality.
The core of the family’s production is Catimor. In fact, Armando was the first to introduce Catimor to this part of southern Huila many years ago.
Among the family, Armando is the only one currently interested in specialty coffee. His sons have chosen to focus on the commodity market, prioritizing volume over quality. But Armando has planted Pink Bourbon, Papayo, Gesha, and more recently Sidra to broaden his range of truly flavorful coffees.
