In the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador’s Ataco is a coffee plantation that’s been family owned for nearly 100 years. The El Carmen Estate is considered to be in an area growing some of the finest coffee beans in the world. They produce their own Ataco line and also adhere to custom specs ordered by different companies wanting an artisan-made coffee to their taste. I was happy to be hosted to experience it.
They have 2 types of tours. One is centered around tasting and assessing coffee like a pro. That sounds nice. I went on a very unique tour of the farm and equipment behind the scenes that really added to my understanding of something I had never experienced. My dad would have loved it, because he liked knowing — and wanted me to know — inside industrial operations, whether it was the railroads, furniture, bourbon distilleries, reading intricate maps.
Think of Central America in 1930: only 90 years past gaining independence from Spain, 15 years after the opening of the Panama Canal. The country had put all its eggs in one basket, so to speak: the prime export was coffee. During the Depression, their economy sunk because people couldn’t afford the luxury of imported coffee. The economy over the years was stratified by the haves and have-nots. So, it should be no surprise that many of the coffee bean harvesting equipment is either all natural/manual (the most preferred) or quite vintage. Some pieces of equipment are American, but come from businesses that are no longer in business.
I learned about the different grades of coffee, some being subjective and other, plain objective. While some people may have personal preferences between the darkest black roasts and deep brown, the washed or honey grades are knocked down in assessment points. Still, they have their fans: generally little old ladies who like a mild “breakfast” blend. The real boo boos go into instant coffees. So, I learned that the very finest beans go straight to export packaging. The Salvadorans never see the best. That kinda got me depressed, to tell the truth! I like the finest things, but I want you to have access to the finest things, too.
After all, the land is mountainous and there’s a lot of climbing around the equipment. What is so good for growing great beans — high altitude, bright sunshine and the porous soil from volcanos — makes for a tough, physical work day. The thought that the nicest stuff didn’t even hit their aspirational fine dining and resorts seems from a different century. We can order the best Cafe Ataco on Amazon.
So, like the old I Love Lucy episode, they still run a conveyor belt with ladies picking out flawed beans, because they have more delicate fingers. They admit that in a different era, those delicate fingers would have been more delicate children’s fingers.
After the tour, you get to taste one of their popular styles outside, overlooking the volcanos. You experience the pride that goes into the product. There’s a gift shop, but they’re not selling a full inventory of what they make.
Luxe & Down-Home Cuisine/Culture/Travel/Style 