There's no better way to learn about a coffee-producing country than to go there. And yet you can spend a lot of time in Bolivia and still not understand the complex relationship between coffee and culture. My first trip to Bolivia was really an awakening. The dramatic landscape, the soaring altitude of La Paz, the very basic lives of the coffee farmers, the complexities of Bolivian politics.

As it turns out, Bolivia does have all the ingredients to produce great coffee, especially in terms of altitude (plenty of that!) and seedstock: the plants are almost all traditional Typica varietal, with some Caturra. Much of the production is traditional Organic farming practice, with a lot of the co-ops certified Organic and some Fair Trade also. Germany and Holland have been buying these coffees heavily for years.

But there are some quality issues that are now being overcome in a partnership program with Panamanian coffee growers (who are very advanced in the techniques) and with USAID funding. One problem is that the coffee was sent from the main growing regions, the Yungas (a vast fertile region on the east-facing slopesof the Cordillera Occidental - the Western range) including the Caranavi region, to La Paz for processing. La Paz is at a whopping 12,500 feet; the coffee was sent up the treacherous road when it was pulped, fermented and washed, but not fully dried. The combined effect of coffee that was moist enough to keep fermenting, plus frigid and dry atmosphere at high altitude, dealt a one-two punch to the coffee chemistry, and weird flavors resulted. But now the co-ops are starting to fully process their coffee, gaining more control over quality, providing more jobs in the community, and sending the coffee over the mountains when it is in a physically stable condition.

These are the nuts and bolts of how a coffee is transformed from an under-priced, underachiever to a recognized name in the market, a distinct origin, a unique cup character at full bloom.

Overall, these are delicate, bright coffees, the classic clean cup, and aromatically sweet. They have subtle fruit flavors, like pear, apple, apricot, tangerine, lemon. They can develop roast flavors that are malty, mild chocolate, nutty, caramelly and honeyed. The best flavors really emerge as the cup cools, and don't diminish but actually grow in intensity.

I was a judge at the Bolivian national cupping competition, and have a pictorial from that trip: Bolivia Cupping Competition. Look for a new page with a lot of details and a lot of pictures later this week, and you can check out my little odd Bolivia Movie now. Prospects for some of the top coffees from the competition look good. -Tom

Pictures from my Bolivia travels: Marcos Moreno turns a huge "ball roaster", Organic Coop in Coroico, Coffee