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When I was a child, growing up between the dairy farms of Connecticut and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I always envisioned myself, one day, as a coffee farmer in the Boquete highlands of Panama in Central America….
Well. Maybe not exactly.
I actually grew up in a family where coffee, Maxwell House, came powdered from a jar. Even with milk and sugar it was nasty. I had no concept that coffee came from an actual plant or that it could actually taste good!
I did not develop an appreciation for coffee until I spent some time in Seattle, Washington when the first Starbucks coffee houses were opening. There I discovered coffees from Indonesia, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Costa Rica. Viennese, French and Italian roasts. Lattes, cappuccinos and espressos. The exotica of coffee—REAL coffee—filled my senses. The smell. The texture. The color. The taste. I began to order my beans shipped overnight. I stored them in special containers. I ground the beans fresh each morning. I French pressed two perfect cups at a time. I developed my own special blend of roasts, striving for that just-right smooth, full-bodied chocolaty taste that I had come to favor. Not for me the light, bright blends with clean aftertaste touted as ‘sophisticated, jazzy and urbane’. Give me the dark, complex, mysterious brews that conjure images of European street cafes cast in the dreamy lights of an Impressionist painting… Yes. Along with millions of others, I fell victim to The Romance of Coffee. That was over 20 years ago. Now, of course, I eschew Starbucks as mainstream, uber-hyped, consumerist swill.
Upon moving to Boquete and purchasing a small coffee farm, my Romance became a full-blown Affair and then a Marriage, as I began to learn the complexities involved in the world of specialty coffee.
In 2004, coffee from Boquete, Panama had made history in the international world of specialty coffees. A particular strain of Arabica, known commonly as Geisha, grown on Hacienda Esmeralda on Alto Jaramillo, sold for record prices at auction. As a result, Boquete coffee—with the Esmeralda Special leading the way—was beginning to receive the same sorts of attention and accolades that previously had been reserved for Jamaica Blue Mountain and Hawaiian Kona coffees.
The name, Geisha, is a misnomer. All coffee varieties trace their roots back to the highlands of Ethiopia and this particular variety comes from the small mountain town of Gesha, in the southwestern part of the country. The variety was brought to Boquete from Costa Rica in the late 1960s. It grows on quite a few farms in the Boquete area. It takes an expert to truly determine if a plant is a Geisha, but you can look for the typical long narrow fruiting body holding two longer-than-normal beans.
The story of the Esmeralda Special begins in 1998, a particularly bad year for coffee in Boquete. Hurricane Mitch sat over Honduras and caused torrential rains and flooding. The effect here was a long, wet October with heavy clouds and no sunshine—ideal conditions for one of the worst diseases coffee suffers from in this area, the “Ojo de Gallo” (Eye of the Rooster) fungal infection. Ojo de Gallo starts as dime-sized circles with yellowing borders on the leaves of the plants and flourishes in moist conditions. Soon the coffee plant’s internal defense mechanism kicks in and to rid itself of the problem, it drops all its leaves, leaving bare branches. With no leaves to produce energy from the sun, the beans never ripen and harvest is poor, at best. The following year, all the plant’s energy goes to making new leaves instead of more beans, effectively eliminating two years of production. In 1998, some of the farms in the Jaramillo area lost 80% of their plants to Ojo de Gallo. (Note: Boquete suffered exactly the same cycle of too much rain and not enough sun in 2010—with the result that almost 60% of the valley’s coffee was lost).
On the Esmeralda-Jaramillo farm the manager, Daniel Peterson, noticed that amongst the various varieties of coffee, one, known as the “Geisha”, seemed to suffer less from the disease—keeping its leaves and producing a harvest while other varieties next to it fared much worse. They decided to seed this variety in an area of the farm ready for new planting. They knew the yields would be lower—Geisha variety grows taller and wider than most common varieties so there are fewer plants per hectare. They reasoned, however, that the plants’ natural resistance would help pull the farm through the years when fungal infections were at their worst.
Jump forward to 2004. The Geisha varietals had reached maturity and were producing their typical long, slender cherries holding two long coffee beans each. Peterson decided to harvest and cup the Geisha separately from the rest of the farm’s coffee. The results were very promising and he sent a small quantity of it to New York to be entered in the Rain Forest Alliance’s coffee competition. The Boquete Geisha took first place amongst all the Rain Forest Alliance’s certified farms. The coffee was also entered in the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama’s yearly competition and again took first place by an astounding margin. Seven bags (at 100 kilos each) were then sold through an internet auction for the record-breaking price of $21 per pound. At the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s annual conference in Seattle, the Geisha beat out coffees from all over the world in the cupping pavilion. In 2005, the coffee, now named the Esmeralda Special, again won the award for the best coffee in Panama.
Ric Rhinehart, a professional coffee cupper and owner of Groundwork Coffee Co. summed up the experience of judging the Esmeralda Special as follows: “This cup not only had flavors that matched the aroma in intensity and complexity, but added in a perfectly attenuated acidity, solid body and an overall sweetness that made for what may be the most complete cup of coffee I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.”
But what, really, makes these coffees so special—and so expensive? The Specialty Coffee Association of America defines specialty coffee this way: “Sometimes called ‘gourmet’ or ‘premium’ coffee, specialty coffees are made from exceptional beans grown only in ideal coffee-producing climates. They tend to feature distinctive flavors, which are shaped by the unique characteristics of the soil that produces them.”
Limited availability, combined with great marketing, are the prime factors and you need both, in addition to exceptional beans. Juan Valdez of Colombia has great marketing, but he is not able to sell his generic, mass-produced product for more than about $4 or $5 a pound, tops. There is too much of it and it is not exceptional.
Availability and marketing are obvious. But, what constitutes exceptional? By what objective standards is one coffee pronounced exceptional while another of equally limited availability is denied this sobriquet? Well, really, there aren’t any objective standards. Remember the tasting wheel? There are hundreds of combinations of descriptors for the fragrance and taste of a particular cup of coffee, all subject to the interpretation of a cupper’s nose and tongue. Lemony, vanilla, woodsy, earthy, chocolaty, winey…right on around to such unappealing descriptors as cabbagy, wet doggy and skunky.
A friend sent me a Reuters article off Yahoo entitled: Pricey Coffee Good to the Last Dropping. Kopi Luwak, grown on three of the 13,000+ islands in the Indonesian archipelago, may be the ultimate in ‘specialty’ coffees. Last year, only 500 pounds were put on the market. So that’s two out of three: limited availability and high profile marketing. But, what about exceptional? It obviously must be exceptional, as you will pay up to $450 per pound, or more, assuming it is the genuine article and you can find it, almost exclusively in New York and California. (Also assuming anyone in their right mind would pay that much for a couple of pots of brew!).
Kopi Luwak has been ‘cupped’ and some of the various words used to describe it are earthy, heavy, syrupy, caramel, chocolate, complex, typically Indonesian or Sumatran with a mysterious, indescribable nuance, funky zoo-like aroma. H-m-m. Wait a minute. Zoo-like aroma? Why are people willing to pay a small ransom for it?
Turns out there is good reason for the ‘zoo-like’. Kopi Luwak is exceptional because unlike ordinary coffee cherries that are picked off coffee trees, these cherries are retrieved from the jungle floor—but not until after they have been eaten, partially digested and then excreted by palm civets, a small, tree-dwelling marsupial closely related to the raccoon, but looking like a cat or an otter, who thinks the coffee cherries in his habitat make a dandy dessert following a feast of insects, fruit and small rodents.
I am not making this up. The most expensive coffee in the world is harvested from animal poop. I really think this may be where marketing outstrips reality. It’s a case where the gimmick is the essence. Seriously, folks.
Now let me be clear. I have NOT tasted Kopi Luwak. If anyone out there has, I would love to have a firsthand report. If you have a stash, and are willing to share, invite me for coffee. I’m game to try most anything, once. But I think there needs to be a distinction made between specialty “gimmick” coffees and truly special coffees. Many of the coffees produced here in Boquete are exceptional coffees. They each have distinctive, individual profiles, they are consistent, and they both smell and taste really, really good. (Visit www.panamacoffee.org for some of the other exceptional coffees produced in the area). Even amongst the Geishas, there are differences, depending on which farm they come from. At the Panamonte Inn and Spa in Boquete, I was served a small cup of Cafe Don Pachi, the 2011 First Place Specialty Geisha grown by Francisco Serracin. Served black, it needed nothing. Rich, smooth, with mouth-filling sweetness. Completely delicious, and yes, very special.
Back in the 1990’s when Kona coffee was all the rage among the coffee elite, the demand far outpaced the amount being grown. Enterprising coffee moguls decided the limited crop availability was adversely impacting their bottom line—they couldn’t sell what they didn’t have. So they surreptitiously bought coffee from Boquete and surrounding areas (at bargain prices), rebagged it, labeled it 100% Kona, and sold more Kona than was grown in Hawaii. They were eventually caught, stopped and in at least one case imprisoned, but I daresay 99% of the consumers who bought this “Kona” never had a clue. From this chicanery comes the saying among Boquete’s inner coffee circle, “The best Kona is a Boquete.”
Those of us involved in the coffee industry of Boquete have been watching the attention given to the events of the past few years with great interest. Already more Geisha variety is being cultivated. More and more farms are embracing sustainable agricultural practices and many are pursuing organic certification. International coffee buyers and cuppers are visiting to see first-hand our beautiful cloud forest environment where award winning coffees are being grown. Visitors are taking samples back home and asking, “Where can we order more?”
Boquete coffee already has most of the key elements necessary for becoming an internationally recognized coffee icon: an ideal coffee producing environment (high elevation, volcanic soil, the right balance of moisture and sun in a tropical highland climate), limited availability, and truly exceptional quality. Now, our marketing is improving. The world is taking notice. We don’t need gimmicks. We don’t have to call it something else. We have the real thing.
Word to the wise: Drink the best. Drink Boquete coffee.
23 de agosto , 2011…el Panamonte Lounge, Boquete, Panamá.
Afuera, la lluvia característica de la temporada repica en el techo. Adentro, el fuego de la chimenea arde brillante. La luz de las velas parpadea sobre la repisa. Manteles de un blanco impecable y lirios en tonos cremosos engalanan la mesa. Un fino menú grabado reposa sobre una servilleta doblada con precisión. En cada sitio esperan cinco copas para vino. Algo especial está a punto de suceder.
El dueño y Chef Ejecutivo del Panamonte, Charlie Collins, entra, acompañando al invitado de honor de esta noche. “Les presento a José Garcés.”
Es un hombre grande y atractivo: alto, de hombros anchos, pelo negro y sonrientes ojos oscuros. Su apretón de manos es cálido y firme, y transmite presencia y confianza. Y con razón: Él es uno de los Iron Chefs America (Chefs de Hierro Americanos).
El Chef Garcés tomó su lugar entre los seis chefs de mayor rango en Estados Unidos en el 2010, cuando ganó la última vuelta de la competencia con otros Iron Chefs. El increíblemente popular programa de televisión Iron Chefs comenzó en Japón como una competencia de cocina conocida por su alto valor dramático, su intensa presión y sus seguidores a nivel internacional. Hoy la red Food Network continúa con la versión estadounidense.
Esta noche, sin embargo, el Chef Garcés no va a cocinar. Él y su familia están de vacaciones. Esta noche, el Chef Charlie Collins ha diseñado un singular menú de Degustación Típica para agasajar al Chef Garcés y sus amigos. “Típica” es el término que se usa en Panamá para describir los platos comunes de la vida diaria: arroz, porotos, pollo, puerco, carne de res, ensaladas, etc. Sin embargo, no tiene nada de común la forma en que el Chef Charlie ha seleccionado y preparado estos alimentos. Creativas, inusuales, deliciosas y servidas con elegancia, cada selección del menú viene acompañada de un vino escogido especialmente para complementar la comida.
- Carimañola & Pork belly con Barbacoa de Guayaba Ahumada
- Centollo, Corvina, Langostino
- Serén de Maiz Tierno, Sirope de Café
- Sorbete de Albahaca y Menta
- Arroz con Pollo, Versión Risotto
- Cordero Lechal, Culantro
- Estudio de Tomate de Árbol, Queso, Miel Trufada
Hijo de padres ecuatorianos pero criado en Chicago, José Garcés atribuye su amor por la comida a la cocina donde su mamá y su abuela prepararon los alimentos para la familia. En una entrevista anterior para Food Network, dijo, “He tenido el privilegio de trabajar con algunos de los mejores chefs de América y España, pero mi pasión por la cocina remonta a mis primeros recuerdos… Aún de niño, me sentía atraído por la alegría de preparar una gran comida.”
Hoy, el Chef Garcés es dueño de ocho restaurantes: siete en Filadelfia y uno en Chicago. En sus locales se ofrecen platos de España, México y Sudamérica – incluso hay uno que combina las cocinas de Perú y Asia. ¡Qué tremenda fusión! ¿Cómo se vería? ¿A qué sabría? “Salteado de filete de res con papas fritas,” dice José con una sonrisa. “Ceviche con limoncillo y jengibre. Cosas por el estilo.”
La introducción a su libro de cocina, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, Septiembre 2008) resume su filosofía sobre los alimentos y su preparación. “Para mí, el reto constante es encontrar las posibilidades ofrecidas por nuevos ingredientes y técnicas, y a la vez respetar lo que ha venido antes. Mi mantra es sencilla: ‘auténtico’ e ‘innovador’ no son términos contradictorios.”
Cuidadosamente, examina y saborea cada uno de los platos de Chef Charlie, luego sonría con placer. “Hay que ser valiente para ser un buen chef,” le comenta a Charlie, y la aprobación de éste es obvio. “Hay que estar dispuesto a experimentar, a combinar los alimentos en formas inusuales.”
¡Qué noche! La compañía de dos chefs de clase mundial que compartieron recetas y forjaron amistad – una experiencia inolvidable. Y ¿el final? El boqueteño Francisco Serracín ofreció a cada invitado una taza de café Geisha de recién cosecha de su finca en Alto Quiel – el café que llevó el primer premio en la Competencia Internacional de Cafés Especializados 2012.
Mejor…¡Imposible!
¿Se le aproxima un cumpleaños, aniversario u otra ocasión especial? Traiga su celebración al Panamonte Inn & Spa, el histórico y más renombrado hotel “bed & breakfast” de Boquete. Contáctese con el Chef Charlie Collins para diseñar su propio menú de Degustación Típica. Deleite a sí mismo y a sus seres queridos con
Una Noche Inolvidable en el Panamonte.
Y no olvide que las Tarifas Especiales para la Temporada Verde están vigentes hasta el 31 de octubre. ¡Reserve 3 noches, pague 2!
August 23, 2011…the Panamonte Lounge, Boquete, Panama.
Outside, the seasonal rain is falling on the roof. Inside, the fireplace is blazing. Candles flicker on the mantel. Gleaming white linens and creamy lilies grace the table. An engraved menu rests atop the precisely folded napkin. At each place setting there are five waiting wine glasses. Something special is about to happen.
Panamonte Executive Chef and owner Charlie Collins enters, escorting the evening’s guest of honor. “May I present José Garcés?”
He is a big, handsome man. Tall, broad shouldered, with black hair and smiling dark eyes. His handshake is warm and firm. He exudes presence and confidence. He should. He is one of the Iron Chefs America.
Chef Garcés took his place as one of the top six chefs in the US in 2010, when he won a final round of competition against other Iron Chefs. The wildly popular Iron Chefs television program began in Japan as a cooking competition known for its high drama, its intense pressure, and its international following. Today, the Food Network continues with the US version.
This night, though, Chef Garcés is not cooking. He and his family are on vacation. Tonight, Chef Charlie Collins has designed a unique Typica Tasting menu for the pleasure of Chef Garcés and friends. “Typica” is the term Panamanians use to describe the ordinary foods of daily life: rice, beans, chicken, pork, beef, salads, etc. However: there is nothing ordinary in the way Chef Charlie has chosen Panamanian ingredients and prepared them. Creative, unusual, delicious and elegantly served, each small plate course is accompanied by a wine specially chosen to complement the food.
- Yucca fritter & Pork with Smoked Guayaba Barbecue Sauce
- King crab claw with lemon aioli, sea bass ceviche, and lobster cocktail
- Creamy corn soup dotted with coffee syrup
- Basil and Mint Sorbet
- Spiced chicken and risotto rice
- Spring lamb chop and medallions, with culantro salsa
- Poached tree tomato (a tropical tree fruit, that is both tart and sweet), accompanied by a selection of cheeses.
Born to Ecuadorian parents, but raised in Chicago, José Garcés traces his love of food to the kitchen where his mother and grandmother prepared meals for the family. In an earlier interview for Food Network, he said, “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the finest chefs in America and Spain, but my passion for cooking comes from my early memories…. Even when I was a child, I was drawn to the joy of cooking a great meal.”
Today, Chef Garcés owns eight restaurants: seven in Philadelphia and one in Chicago. His establishments feature the foods of Spain, Mexico and South America—and even one that blends the cuisines of Peru and Asia. Talk about fusion! What would that look like? Taste like? “Beef tenderloin stir fry with French fried potatoes,” Jose grins. “Ceviche with lemon grass and ginger. That sort of thing.”
The introduction to his cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008) sums up his philosophy about food and its preparation. “My constant challenge is to find the possibilities that new ingredients and techniques offer, while honoring what has come before. My mantra is simple: ‘authentic’ and ‘innovative’ are not contradictory.”
He carefully examines and savors each of Chef Charlie’s dishes, smiling his enjoyment. “You have to be brave to be a good chef,” he remarks to Charlie, with obvious approval. “You have to be willing to experiment, to combine foods in unusual ways.”
Ah! What a night! The company of two world-class chefs sharing recipes and forging friendships—an unforgettable experience. And at the end of it? Boquete’s own Francisco Serracin treated each guest to a cup of this year’s Geisha coffee from his farm in Alto Quiel—the coffee that took the top prize in the 2012 International Specialty Coffee Competition.
It just could not have been better.
Do you have a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion coming up? Bring your celebration to the Panamonte Inn & Spa, Boquete’s premier historic bed and breakfast. Contact Chef Charlie Collins to design your very own special Typica Tasting menu. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a
Night to Remember at the Panamonte.
And remember, Special Green Season rates are in effect until October 31st. Book 3 nights, pay for 2!
En 1940, William Vincent Turnage, un norteamericano que trabajaba en la ciudad de Panamá, conoció y se enamoró de Erna Rassow, una panameña de Bocas del Toro. Después de su boda, los recién casados viajaron en un viejo Packard por el largo y difícil camino hacia Boquete. Pasaron su luna de miel en el Panamonte Inn, donde llenaron sus sentidos con el perfume de las flores y el intenso verde de las montañas que se erguían hacia cielos despejados más allá de los jardines. William y Erna llegarían a vivir plenamente la vida, criando juntos una familia de cinco hijos tanto en Estados Unidos como en Asia y América del Sur.
En julio de 2010, su hija, Margaret Hebson de Miami, Florida, visitó por primera vez el Panamonte, y también quedó fascinada con la magia, belleza y romanticismo del lugar. “Me impresionó mucho el ambiente encantador del Panamonte Inn, los interiores, los jardines y una cocina excepcional. Nuestra habitación era tan confortable y acogedor, llena de flores frescas, espaciosa, serena,” relata ella. “Me llevaron a conocer la suite de luna de miel original y pude ver las montañas envueltas en nubes, como las debieron ver mis padres. Es fácil entender cómo este ambiente se presta para un nuevo romance.”
Setenta años después de aquella luna de miel, Margaret (con una de sus tías y una prima), sintió que había regresado al punto de partida. “Me quedé pensando en la extraordinaria belleza del lugar y la buena fortuna de mis padres y la mía también, al tener la oportunidad de hospedarnos aquí.”
Si usted está planeando una boda, un aniversario o simplemente un escape romántico, el Panamonte Inn & Spa de Boquete hará que su experiencia sea inolvidable, y se llevará recuerdos para atesorar por muchos años. Nuestra nueva Suite de Luna de Miel es privada e íntima, con su propia chimenea, un jacuzzi para dos, una elegante área de estar y una vista mágica del jardín. Nuestro personal espera para cumplir sus deseos. ¡Nuestra casa es su casa!
In 1940, William Vincent Turnage, an American working in Panama City, met and fell in love with Erna Rassow, a Panamanian from Bocas del Toro. After their wedding, the newlyweds traveled in an old Packard the long, difficult road to Boquete. They spent their honeymoon at the Panamonte Inn, where they marveled at the flowers and enjoyed green, green mountains towering into the clear sky beyond the gardens. William and Erna went on to live full lives, raising a family of five children, both in United States, Asia and South America.
In July 2010, their daughter, Margaret Hebson of Miami, Florida, made her first visit to the Panamonte, and was herself enchanted with its charm, beauty and romantic ambience. “I was most impressed by the charming nature of the Panamonte Inn, the interiors, the gardens and the excellent cuisine. Our room was so comfortable and welcoming, fresh flowers, spacious, serene,” she said. “I was treated to a tour of the original honeymoon suite and could see the cloud enveloped mountains, as my parents must have. It’s easy to see how the environment lent itself to new romance.”
Seventy years after that honeymoon, Margaret (with one of her aunts and a cousin), felt they had come full circle. “I reflected upon the wonderful beauty of the place and the good fortune my parents and I have had to be guests here.”
If you are planning a wedding, an anniversary, or simply a romantic getaway, the Panamonte Inn & Spa in Boquete will make it a wonderful experience and a treasured memory that can be passed on. Our new Honeymoon Suite is private and intimate with its own fireplace, Jacuzzi hot tub for two, elegant sitting area and magical garden view. Our staff await your pleasure. Nuestra casa es su casa!
