Candelaria Hernandez

Candelaria Hernández is a small coffee producer from Huehuetenango who grows the bourbon variety. She is part of the Axola cooperative in Petatan, Huehuetenango, which has about 150 members and focuses on growing specialty coffee at elevations between 1,200 and 1,900 meters above sea level. Most of the coffee producers in this cooperative are Popti, a Mayan-descended indigenous community with deep-rooted traditions and customers and a deep connection to agriculture and nature. Last year, Candelaria supplied coffee for the first time under the Caravela program, which has a sweet and complex profile that is very characteristic of the region. Harvest time in this coffee region is between December and April, and most of the coffee is harvested collectively and grown under native trees such as ingas and graveillea. Typically, the coffee is fermented for 24 to 36 hours and traditionally dried on concrete terraces.