Description
El Recreo – Colombia: Red Papaya of Pitalito, Huila
El Recreo – Colombia is a specialty coffee grown by Alexandra Calderón Rojas at Finca El Recreo, located in Pitalito, in the southern part of the Huila department. The farm has a total area of 6 hectares, 5 of which are dedicated to coffee cultivation. The entire harvest is done by hand, between April and December.
The altitude of 1,850 meters above sea level places this farm in the optimal range for the development of the Red Papaya variety, where low nighttime temperatures slow down the ripening of the fruit and concentrate sugars and aromatic compounds in the bean.
Pitalito and the Red Papaya variety
Pitalito is Colombia's largest coffee producer and also the leading producer of specialty coffees, a fact confirmed year after year in the Cup of Excellence competition. Huila coffee has held a Denomination of Origin since 2013, and some of the country's most established and high-quality coffee farms are concentrated in the southern part of the department.
The Papayo Rojo variety is one of the most unique exotic varieties to have emerged from Huila. It is a rare mutation originating in Acevedo, Huila, with large, dense, and high-quality beans. Its name comes from its morphological resemblance to the papaya fruit. It has Bourbon lineage, which contributes sweetness, balanced acidity, and complexity in the cup. The exact origins of Papayo Rojo are largely unknown, and recent genetic analyses point to a possible affinity with Ethiopian materials, which has increased interest within the industry.
Its production remains very limited. It is almost always grown in microlots for specialty coffee and competitions, in very small volumes and using specialized post-harvest techniques. The bean size requires a longer roasting time to properly develop its flavors and natural sugars.
This batch undergoes a washed fermentation process, with an initial 36-hour fermentation in the cherry followed by another 36 hours in the mucilage. Afterward, the beans are dried on a drying rack for approximately 20 days until they reach optimal moisture content. This double fermentation protocol is common in the best batches from southern Huila and directly contributes to the clarity and definition of the aromatic profile in the cup.
