An inspired band of humanitarian coffee lovers.
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Who is Javier Amador-Pena? |
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Javi is Javier Amador-Peña. (And Javi is me.)
I grew up on the north coast of Colombia, where—like anywhere else in the country—espresso-sized cups of coffee are on the table wherever people gather. It is at the center of our interactions and brings us together every hour of every day. It is a part of our mornings, afternoons and evenings. From routine, everyday chats to formal business meetings, sharing coffee is intrinsic to our conversations and ingrained in our culture. Over steaming cups, we visit and catch up. Over coffee, we close deals. Over coffee, we make decisions about our lives. Over coffee, we celebrate and share our sorrows. As an immigrant here in America, I found so many wonderful things to love about my adopted country. But I also found myself constantly searching for a great cup of coffee and the conviviality that goes along with it—perhaps trying to connect with the early days of my life and my native culture. I became a “coffee chaser,” trying new brews at every opportunity and evaluating each one. This chase was often rewarding and introduced me to some very pleasant coffee-centric experiences, but I could never quite capture the quality, the characteristics—the culture—of the coffee I remembered from Colombia. It wasn’t until a recent trip to Colombia, to visit family and spend time with friends, that I had my eureka! moment. I was sitting and talking with my family. It was a moment of simple, pure pleasure. The company, the conversation—and, naturally, the coffee: I loved them all. I knew then that my search had led me to both a destination and a discovery: The coffee I’d been seeking was right where I’d left it. Inspired, I knew I had to track down the source. In the process, I learned more than I ever could have expected about the different varieties of coffee that are farmed, harvested and sold in Colombia. I talked to coffee growers and saw the pride they take in sowing, nurturing, maintaining and harvesting their crops. In their voices, I heard their passion for what they do. I also heard about their challenges, their worries and the joy they feel when a healthy cosecha (harvest) is expected. I met small farm owners and learned that a great number of them are women—and that a lot of these women act as the head of their household. This seemed remarkable to me, whether from an American or Colombian perspective. On my way home, amid a cascade of memories and images and stories, it struck me that behind every cup of coffee we drink are the faces and lives of so many people—and with each of those faces is a story of pride, pain, worry, happiness, success and hope: a story worth sharing. Today, every time I brew a cup of El Colombiano coffee, I connect with my roots—my past, my country, my people, my culture. It’s invigorating on so many levels, from the taste itself to the knowledge that El Colombiano represents my aspiration to bring that same sense of delight in the perfect cup of coffee to this country and culture—while recognizing, supporting and nurturing the people and places it comes from. |
Who Are You? |
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But enough about us. Let’s talk about you--the people: coffee connoisseurs, seekers of the perfect cup, or anyone at all who appreciates flavor—and fairness—in all their culinary choices.
And there are the professionals: Maybe you’re a local company whose staff will appreciate a step up in the quality and pedigree of their workday brew. Or maybe you’re a coffee shop or a restaurant with customers whose expectations for coffee go beyond the basics. |
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