In Origin

In specialty coffee, we talk about “origin” the way other industries talk about terroir — as something romantic, distant, and marketable.

Coffee is processed “in origin.” We go on “origin trips.” We describe flavor by origin: Ethiopian coffees are fruity and floral; Mexican coffees are chocolatey and nutty; Colombian coffees range from caramel to citrus.

I recently got the opportunity to “go to origin” in Oaxaca during harvest season with my friend, a local coffee professional. In two days, all the textbook terms I had heard in my seven years of learning about specialty coffee suddenly became tangible — and made less and less sense.