San Martin Pangoa Geisha - Junin, Peru

Country: Peru
Region: Junin
Province: Satipo
District: San Martin de Pangoa
Community: San Martin de Pangoa
Altitude: 1800-2000
Farm Area: 3-5 hectares on average per producer
Variety: Geisha
Process: Washed
Fermentation: 15-36 hours
Drying: 10-13 days on raised beds

In the center jungle of Peru we find the region called Junin, a region characterized by its diversity of ecosystems, altitudes and cultures. In this region we can find some of the highest peaks of the Andes with people that belongs to the most antiques cultures of Peru (such as the Chancas), but not very far away from these lands (only 7 hours travel) we can get to the deep center jungle of Peru full of diversity and tribal population (like the Ashaninkas).

Is in the middle of these two opposite lands that we find the community of Santiago of Oropel, within the Pangoa district in the Satipo province, Junin region. The location of Oropel is privileged, it has the richness of the jungle lands but also the altitudes of the Andes, these 2 conditions gives the perfect environment for top quality coffees to grow. Oropel is a privileged area but there has been some tough moments in the history of this community, during the early 1980’s a guerilla group called the Shining Path began a socio-political upheaval that would last more than a decade. Due to warfare, many families from the area fled to bigger cities hopeful to find refuge. By 1991, The Shining Path had taken over most of the countryside in central and south Peru. Today, the situation has stabilized and families returned to their farms and to their principal way of income, coffee.