COFFEE ORIGINS 2012

I love coffee. I've been drinking coffee since I was 11 years old. Now, I probably had four cups a day the most. The reasons I drink coffee is probably to keep me awake every morning and when I have to finish a blog overnight. It is also addictive. When I get a chance to get free coffee, instant or brewed, I will certainly get a cup or two.

Coffee Origins organizers

But there are facts about coffee I still don't know about until I went to Coffee Origins 2012 that opened October 4 at The Gallery located at the second floor of Greenbelt 5. There are 9 out of 10 who are also coffee drinkers like me. It is a local pride that we Pinoys love our homegrown coffee. Outside the Philippines, most are not aware that we are also growing coffee.

Kinds of coffee that is available locally

October marks the coffee month. Coffee Origins is held every year at Ayala Center to celebrate our love of coffee and to promote our own brands. There will be sampling of our brewed coffee that you won't see in a regular grocery or supermarket.

Barako wine

Coffee Origins is not just limiting to giving samples and selling good coffee, they are providing talks or dialogue on how coffee making and harvesting a business for the country. Vietnam is now number 2 producer of coffee in the world and they are not far from the Philippines.

Dr. Dave D'Haeze

They invited an expert from Belgium, Dr. Dave D'haeze who is now based in Vietnam to share the techniques on how to make money from coffee with less cost. Water is also essential so Dr. D'Haeze can show it with lesser amount of water use.

Coffee Origins not only promote local coffee but also livelihood of the people. The probable reason why we are not producing enough coffee to export internationally because we don't have enough lands for coffee. Most farmers use their lands to produce other products besides coffee.

The organizers of Coffee Origins sees this as their mission to look for more fertile lands outside the cities suitable to produce coffee. Companies like Bo's Coffee also invested to see the potential to make more coffee besides Arabica and Barako. I was immersed with coffee tasting since I first tasted an expensive coffee from the North called civet coffee. I was told how it was processed and why it is expensive so I tried a sample from the exhibit. A new use of coffee was the Barako wine. I find it sweet but it still has the kick of coffee. The products are also available in selected stores in Metro Manila. Please support this effort and enjoy drinking our local coffee.