We talked about the legendary Ethiopian coffee landrace called Geisha a couple of times on the blog, but I don’t think we ever mentioned by name the guy who actually first took it from CATIE’s genebank in Turrialba, Costa Rica to Panama, and thence the world. Well, his name was Pachi Sarracín, and he unfortunately just passed away.
He was responsible for the arrival of the Geisha variety in Panama, in the late seventies, and years later the consecration of Panamanian Geisha as the undisputed star of Latin American coffee plantations.
In his hands, and those of a small group of pioneers, Geisha went from a half-forgotten variety in a research center in Turrialba, Costa Rica, to become the most valued on the market. I’ve never tasted anything more subtle, elegant, delicate and stimulating. It took only two sips of his Don Pachi Estate to captivate me and get me hooked.
Quite a legacy.
