Linda Gonzalez of Café Juayúa shares her ideas on El Salvador, her historical past, and what she needs individuals to find out about her household’s espresso.

BY EMILY JOY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Cowl picture courtesy of Linda Gonzalez

At this time we proceed our dialog with Linda Gonzalez of Los Angeles’ Café Juayúa, a espresso store and roastery devoted to highlighting espresso from her household’s farm in Juayúa, El Salvador. In half one, Linda shared her expertise of first getting concerned along with her household’s espresso farms and challenges they confronted as small growers. At this time, she shares recommendation for espresso professionals within the diaspora and what she needs individuals to find out about espresso rising in El Salvador.

Barista Journal: I’ve seen a number of protection of local weather change and the way it’s affecting Salvadoran espresso manufacturing. What climate-related challenges have you ever seen espresso farmers in El Salvador dealing with, and what are among the greatest methods you’ve discovered to handle these difficulties?

Linda Gonzalez: We’ve been seeing that there’s rain when there often wasn’t rain, and it often comes through the time once we’re making an attempt to dry the espresso cherries. And within the occasions if you would count on average rain, there’s now a number of rain. So we attempt to preserve the farms as biodiverse as attainable.

We aren’t a kind of farms that’s simply rising espresso timber. Sadly, we see a few of these (farms), the place you see a slope and it’s simply espresso timber—no giant timber to supply protection, no different sorts of vegetation. Our timber are shade-grown. I feel retaining this stuff in thoughts helps so as to add variety to the soil.

There’s additionally a number of totally different waste that comes with espresso processing, so we attempt to carry it again to the farm as fertilizer, to essentially use that as a lot as attainable. We perceive that the local weather is altering. We don’t wish to contribute to it (much more); we wish to work with it.

What recommendation do you could have for individuals within the diaspora—individuals like myself—who’ve household again house in different international locations rising crops, and wish to be related and concerned however aren’t positive but how?

I feel we noticed our potential to be right here and there as this big privilege. You understand, I perceive the tradition and the language right here—I can converse to roasters; I do know what they’re searching for, what they need. However I may also return to El Salvador and inform them, “That is what persons are concerned about; that is the standard they need.“

And likewise, I can return (to L.A.) and share what’s happening on the farms—I can inform their tales. I feel it’s nearly actually harvesting that connection and embracing each elements of your self. You understand, I’m not simply from L.A., and I’m not simply culturally from El Salvador. I’m all this stuff, and I’m capable of mix all of it and embrace that.

As a result of generally, I feel we wish to put ourselves in packing containers, like “Oh, I can solely take pleasure in this or be this,“ however there’s a lot profit to being each, to with the ability to transfer round in these two areas. And (I feel individuals) ought to understand that no matter tradition you carry and tales you share, persons are . That’s what brings an genuine facet to the espresso. And it’s so fascinating to share your story and for individuals to be like, “Wow, that resonates with me“ or, “I’m concerned about that.“

What’s one thing that you really want extra individuals to find out about Salvadoran espresso, or El Salvador usually?

I would like individuals to know that we actually have specialty espresso—it’s scrumptious. It’s premium. And the tradition in El Salvador is superbly various, and there’s a lot historical past—and as Café Juayúa, we’re so proud to carry that ahead. 

We generally assume it’s humorous that we’re known as Café Juayúa, as a result of, in my head, I’ve been saying Juayúa since I used to be a child. However once we began to share the title with the opposite individuals, they had been somewhat confused about it—so we turned form of these ambassadors of Juayúa, this city. And I really like that individuals would come and go to and see it for themselves: see the individuals, see the farms … see we’re alongside the volcanic mountain ridge known as Apaneca-Ilamatepec, how we’re cradled by it. And (I would like individuals to see) what number of palms are concerned, how a lot work goes into producing espresso. You understand, the individuals behind it, the historical past behind it—which is so wealthy and delightful.

I feel it’s undoubtedly a transformative expertise if you go all the way down to the farm stage and see how a lot it takes to get espresso out. So I would like individuals to understand and have an open thoughts to study espresso—not solely from El Salvador, however from around the globe. 

To Study Extra

At this time, yow will discover Linda and her family members sharing their household’s espresso at Café Juayúa, which is situated at Cycle N Movement in El Sereno, Calif. You may also discover their espresso and merch, which options Linda’s very personal paintings, on Café Juayúa’s web site.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Pleasure Meneses (she/they) is a author and musician based mostly in Los Angeles. Her hobbies embrace foraging, cortados, classic synths, and connecting along with her Filipino roots by way of music, artwork, meals, and beverage.

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