Bolivian coffee beans

Bolivia is located in the central part of South America, bordering Brazil and Peru to the north. The country is known as the “Land of Mountains,” and its capital, La Paz, sits at an altitude of 3,660 meters. The Yungas region to the northeast of La Paz borders the basin, with slightly lower elevation and fertile land, making it highly suitable for coffee cultivation. Therefore, Bolivia is a country that grows coffee at relatively “low altitudes.”

The main coffee-producing regions in Bolivia are the Yungas and La Paz areas. The infrastructure here is relatively underdeveloped, lacking large-scale wet processing facilities. When the coffee cherries ripen, farmers must harvest them promptly and then transport them to La Paz, which sits at an even higher altitude, for processing. The road from Yungas to La Paz is treacherous and is known as the “Death Road.” During transportation, the coffee cherries are prone to fermentation and rot, resulting in unpleasant, pungent flavors.

Hacienda Arasitas is locatedin Bolivia,in the La Paz Caranavi growing region.It is named after Bolivia’s grand “Alasitas Festival,” which originally means “buy from me.” It originated as the prototype of a market, where in early indigenous trade, people bartered goods. Items such as agricultural produce, colorful round gemstones, or anything unique would be “purchased” during this period. Alasitas gradually evolved into a traditional Aymara festival. In Bolivia’s spring, farmers pay homage to the Andean god “Ekeko” (Aymara: Iqiqu), praying for a bountiful harvest.

The coffee processing method used in Bolivia is cocoa sun-drying, which actually comes fromplacing the coffee cherries into a cocoa dryer for drying, hence the name.