We love to curl our fingers around a mug of steaming Himalayan coffee, breathe in the rich aromas of Jalpa Gold, close our eyes and picture where it all came from.
Transport your mind deep into the heart of the world’s tallest mountain ranges, and hear the roar of the Trishuli River as it drains the snowmelt rushing from the soaring peaks of Ganesh, Yangra and Salasungo peaks, all above 23,000 feet. That pristine water rushes at the foot of Plantec Coffee Estate, of whom we at HCI are proud to serve as the sole U.S. distributor of both raw and roasted coffee beans.
On hillsides rolling down to that mighty river, in a sunbelt spot selected for its frost-free location, Plantec organically grows 100% Caturra (Arabica) coffee. The hills are about 70 km north of Kathmandu, at the foot of the Ganesh Himal mountain range, and the snowmelt in the Trishuli irrigates the fields and washes across the hand-picked coffee cherries.
But there is more to your cup of coffee from Plantec. Plantec strives to be a fair and nurturing partner to residents, farmers and entrepreneurs of the Nuwakot region in Nepal, from utilizing organic fertilizer from the traditional local livestock to employing and empowering local women who seek a stable living. Plantec grows its own coffee while also encouraging a burgeoning group of smaller coffee growers and entrepreneurs in the area, as one of the founding members of Nepal’s expanding coffee culture. Coffees from Plantec are shade-grown, an environmentally encouraging form of cultivation that has promoted reforestation and has helped bring back migratory and songbirds to the area and promoted other wildlife.
Plantec’s coffees, from Jalpa Gold to Mt. Everest Supreme, are hand-picked with love and care, and shipped fresh in our signature bags.
We look forward to telling more of the story of Plantec and Nepalese coffee culture in coming months. In the meantime, enjoy the brew and give a nod to the Himalayan gods of bountiful snow and flavorful coffee from the land of adventure.