Hatuhei

Tasting Notes: Red Apple, Floral, Milk Chocolate
 
Suggested Brewing Method: This is an extremely versatile coffee, we've found it tasting delicious with both Espresso and filter based brewing. 
 
Hatuhei is located in one of the remotest regions of Letefoho in the eastern highlands. At an altitude of 1500-1600 masl, visiting this farmer group is always an adventure for Karst Organics (our partner in the region), traversing along the long and winding tracks through the mountain ranges. Here, the coffee is grown underneath the shade of the imposing Ai-Kakeu and Ai-Samtuku trees, providing the delicate balance between shade and sunlight. 
With constant sunny days and mild cool nights the coffee cherries have the perfect environment in which to thrive. With a deep-rooted respect for Mother Nature and the land, these coffee farmers can often be found in amongst their coffee, tending to not only the coffee trees themselves but other crops which are planted in and around the coffee. 
Timorese coffee is truly wild and organically grown. With time old traditions in processing coffee, passed on from generation to generation, coffee continues to offer more opportunities for Timorese people to create a consistent and sustainable income from which to support and provide for their families and the local community.
Due to their remote location, opportunities are limited for the Hatuhei farmers to earn an income, particularly when the wet season arrives and access in and out of the village isn’t possible due to dangerous road conditions. Carlos de Deus (lead farmer of the Hatuhei group) is particularly motivated to seek out further opportunities by which to optimise his community’s earning potential through their coffee. Under Carlos’s leadership, all members of this group have worked closely with one another during these last 3 years to learn from each other and with a strong sense of community, taking the time to process their coffee to the highest quality. With maintained support with materials and ongoing collaboration with Simao (lead farmer of the Eratoi group) with regards to sharing ideas on processing, coffee from Hatuhei continues to improve year on year. 
Going forward, Carlos and Hatuhei’s members are keen to take what they have learnt during these last 3 years and share their knowledge with other smallholder farmers in even more remote locations so that they too can gain access to the speciality coffee sector and improve their annual income.