The coffee situation here sucks. If Peru grows good coffee, it is nowhere to be found. If it exists, it must all be exported. In Peru, instant coffee rules the day. Instant coffee everywhere.
Can you get real coffee? Sure. Sometimes. But it’s more expensive and can only be found in the Gringo, touristy, fancy places. Places I tend to avoid.
Back home, I’m a bit of a coffee snob, nothing serious, but I like my coffee like I like my coffee. That means STRONG. Through an espresso machine is my favorite, but a french press, or even a Keurig will do.
Here in Arequipa, I’m staying at a hostel with a kitchen, as I try to do everywhere I am. I have my specific “gourmet” instant coffee. My bag of sugar. And my carton of milk in the fridge. It’s not much, but it’s the best I can do in this cruel, cruel world. And I must say, instant coffee really is…well….INSTANT!
So I went off on this 3 day hike, and I was stuck with what I could get. Usually some “non-gourmet” instant coffee and some sugar. No milk. So I really started thinking about my nice situation back at the hostel in Arequipa. My “gourmet” instant coffee. My clean sugar. And my milk. Oh yes, my milk. And I started really looking forward to having it again. 3 cups right off the bat and we’ll go from there…
Isn’t it funny that this is what I was dreaming of:
yellow circle — carton of milk. it sold warm on the shelf. must be put in the fridge after it’s open. normally i like creamer in my coffee. but whole milk will do it.
blue circle — little baggie of sugar. bought it back in Lima. been carrying it around with me for two weeks now. quite a buy!
red circle — that’s the “gourmet” instant coffee i mentioned.
Bottom line: Can’t wait to go the Fresh Market back home. Pick up some kick butt coffee. And push that shnizit through a French Press. Loads of sugar. Yuuuuum.
Peace from Arequipa.
And stay tuned for pics from my 3 day hike through Colca Canyon. It’s even deeper than the Grand Canyon. Awesome views. Crazy foods. And cows, donkeys, sheep, mules, chickens, and much much more!
I know quite a lot of Peruvians and none of them drink coffee, not even Moisés who has his coffee plantation in the vicinity of Chanchamayo. The best organic coffee around seems to be coffee grown in Puno.
I prefer an espresso in an Italian bar in Italy, no sugar, no milk, or in Spain where they generally serve good espresso’s as well.
You can find espresso in many places in large cities in Peru for around 3 – 5 S/. which isn’t really cheap for Peruvian standards.