From berry to brew: The story behind that fresh cup of kapeng barako

The province of Batangas and kapeng barako are inseparable. It's more than just a staple brew — it's a cultural icon. Kara David in "Pinas Sarap" tells the story beyond the cup, past the beans, and gets right to its roots.  

"Barako" is a variety of liberica coffee that's unique to the Philippines. The Coffea liberica seedling was first brought by Mexican friars in the 1740s. The Macasaet clan from Lipa were among the first to receive and grow these trees. 

Coffee farming boomed from 1800s to the middle of 1880s. "Sa katunayan, minsan na tayong naging main experoter ng kape sa buong mundo noon 1886," David repored.

Lamentably, in the 1890s, coffee rust — marked by yellowing of the leaves — hit the trees and the industry plummeted. 

True to the "barako" spirit, the Batangeños persevered and gradually revived the coffee farms in their community, enough to now celebrate an annual Kapeng Barako Festival.

But what goes into making this beloved brew?

Making a cup of barako coffee, beginning with the berries

The process starts with picking the right berries. Ripe red ones are the best, said coffee farmer Jun Julie Andal. Each three can yield up to 10 kilograms of berries every three months and, fun fact, a coffee tree can live up to a 100 years old. 

After the berries are gathered, the next step is drying. The berries used to be dried under the sun, but a solar dryer is now used to speed up the process. Joe Mercado, owner of Cafe De Lipa told Kara "'Yong una sa semento, 'yong iba sa lupa pa, sa kalsada. Pero hindi na maganda ang pagtutuyo...kasi naglalasang lupa 'yong kape."

Drying takes up to two weeks, the husk from the berries are removed by machine. They then go through another machine for further depulping. 

The resulting beans are then roasted until that redolent aroma fills the room.

All that's required now is to grind the beans and run through either an espresso machine, a French press, or an AeroPress. — Aya Tantiangco, GMA News