“Huehuetenango”. How many times do you need to read it to be able to pronounce it?
The truth is that this is a famous area in Guatemala, which is commonly pronounced “way-way-the-NAN-go”, perhaps the trickiest name of all in this country. However, its soils are extremely friendly to the cultivation of coffee and that is why 80% of the population lives either directly or indirectly from cultivation. This is not insubstantial. Quite the contrary: Through the Regional Select program, small farmers have the opportunity to present their crops, no matter how small or large, so that they can be evaluated and made available to the rest of the world.
Regional Select was created with this very purpose: to showcase the exceptional characteristics of crops from different countries that, thanks to the microclimate of each region, provide beans with a distinct flavour profile. Winds, soil quality, sunshine, altitude are all elements that contribute to the flavour characteristics that distinguish the coffee of each region. Based on flavour profile, availability and price, Regional Select gives a score to each crop and each time selects something unique!
Waykan is another rare coffee that participates in Regional Select and comes to Coffee Island to fascinate you with its unique features. The 28th limited edition Microfarm is grown in Huehuetenango – you know, the city with the name that you cannot get right- and offers a unique one-off taste.
Another 100% specialty Arabica coffee with a special name since in Q’qnjobal (Mayan language) “Waykan” means “a star that shines in the sky at night”. Is that a coincidence? Not at all! Waykan tells a special story about small farmers who manage to stand out, regardless of the size of their farm, and to sell – through Regional Select – their precious beans, receiving not only the recognition they deserve, but also a constant feedback in order for them to continue producing this special coffee. And all this occurs within a secure framework that ensures free access to the global market.
At Coffee Island shops, these stories become tasty experiences shared with you. Waykan beans are collected from different small farms, wet-processed, medium to dark roasted as they should be, and finally come to you full of the aromas of blood orange, roasted almond and crème caramel.
A rare taste experience that you really ought to try so as to give a different twist to your everyday life. We, as authentic coffee explorers, travelled to regions far at Guatemala, learned – yes, we learned – to pronounce the Huehuetenango region and from there we brought Waykan. Through the art of artisan roasting that we know very well, we offer you another tasty idea that you will enjoy from the very first sip.
The “star glowing in the night sky” is the new suggestion by the Microfarm Project®. This sounds like a story title, but again, isn’t every coffee that we offer a different story?