I've had the pleasure of meeting Anna twice already at the Frankfurt Coffee Festival and also watched her compete in the German Barista Championship 2023 with beans from the same Chakra Warmi women’s cooperative featured in this month’s Kaffeekiss Cologne box. On my recent visit to Cologne, I found myself at Anna's cafe, even though it was closed to the public that day. Walking in felt like stepping into a familiar space, thanks to Anna's regular Instagram stories of opening the cafe and pouring the first flat white of the day.
The cafe is warm and vibrant with bright colors and a cozy corner with plenty of natural light. I learned that the vintage brown swivel chairs near a bright green side table were a thoughtful gift from a regular customer's personal collection.
Anna brewed a filter coffee for us from her Canephora collection using a Graycano dripper. Giovanna specializes in Canephora coffee and collaborates closely with a women’s cooperative in the Amazon region of Ecuador. They directly import beans through Anna’s business partner, Gio and her company Latitud 0°. Gio has deep roots in Ecuador and strong relationships with the producers at the Chakra Warmi Women’s cooperative. Anna is a passionate ambassador for Canephora coffee, challenging misconceptions and championing the specie’s unique qualities. She's even dedicated an episode of her "Kaffeesahne Podcast" with Gio to explain why quality, well-processed Canephora is "the new black" in a coffee world dominated by Arabica. Given its tolerance to grow at lower altitudes and in warmer temperatures, Canephora is set to be the coffee of the future in the face of climate change.
We enjoyed our coffee in the sunshine outside the large yellow-framed shop window, attracting a few locals who thought it was their lucky day to find the door open on a Monday. Sipping from the handmade ceramic cups, a collaboration with artist Paulina Pucilowska of Swawole Pottery, only enhanced the experience. As always, I couldn't help but feel that coffee tastes better from beautiful mugs.
I asked Anna some questions to learn more about Giovanna and their Canephora Coffee. We're thrilled to have this special coffee from their Canephora Collection in our Cologne box!
Nicole: Hi Anna, how did you initially become involved in the coffee industry, and when did you start your journey into coffee roasting?
Anna: Where to start? 😊
My journey began after quitting my studies of English and Philisophy. I ended up working in a high volume Coffee Chain and loved everything about a perfect workflow, interaction with colleagues and customers as well as keeping order in the warehouse. That led me to a career as a professional caterer. I have worked as a Café manager, led Coffee Workshops and eventually I became a production roaster at a local roastery. And that’s the first stop where I realised that there is more to coffee… there is a whole community around this seemingly daily product.
That made me start my Kaffeesahne Podcast and Instagram Community Challenges like #coffeecommunityweek
The last big step was working together with Gio, a friend who is a green bean ex- and importer specialized in canephora. We were sure from the start that we had to go through with this specialization as a roastery. And here we are today.
N: Gio’s connection to her native Ecuador and her coffee import company Latitud 0° Green Coffee, allows for direct relationships with coffee producers, fostering genuine transparency. Could you elaborate on your coffee bean sourcing process? What criteria do you prioritize when selecting beans to roast?
A: There is a really good point in the question itself. We don’t source and select beans to roast. We have a strong bond with the women’s cooperative and aim to roast all the coffee they produce and work on consistency together. Of course there is a certain quality that we love to roast but it all has to be within their and our capacity and resources. The way the coffee is grown in agroforestry systems and harvested by hand already makes it a very good product. What’s most important now is to keep a solid collaboration and make sure that the infrastructure can improve over the years in order to make coffee production a profitable business for all parties involved.
N: The beans in the Cologne Kaffeekiss box are from your Canephora collection and sourced from the Chakra Warmi Women’s cooperative in Ecuador. Can you tell us about what a Chakra is and the impactful work the women’s cooperative is doing at the origin?
A: The Chakra Warmi Women’s Cooperative has become a significant part of the women’s lives. It’s not just about growing and harvesting coffee – it’s about community, education and empowerment. Most women put in a significant amount of work into the industry without getting proper recognition. Over the years they have been working together they have become confident about their knowledge and importance to the community. It’s a Coffee Business run by women and out of that confidence they have also started experimenting with processing. And that’s what we love to highlight in our Canephora Filter Collection.
N: As an advocate of Canephora beans (#canephoraisthenewblack), could you briefly explain how Canephora differs from Arabica coffee? What draws you most to Canephora, and what are the primary flavor profiles and characteristics that set Canephora beans apart from Arabica?
A: Let’s first start with one very important aspect: Canephora is a species of coffea – just like Arabica. There are many different varieties of Canephora. Such as Napo Payamino, Conilon or Robusta. Robusta is Canephora. Canephora is not necessarily Robusta. Got it? 😊
Considering the challenges of climate change we find it important to look at Canephora as part of a possible solution. Caffeine functions as a natural insecticide, higher yields result in smaller space and the plant is more resistant to temperature changes.
When we started roasting and decided to go with light roast Canephora, the coffee community warned us… nobody would be interested. They were thinking about “robusta” and how it is usually handled: Low prices, low quality, dark roast. No wonder the taste was off.
Taking high quality Canephora that has been handled with care all throughout the supply chain we discovered smooth and sweet taste that’s not only interesting for the Specialty Coffee Crowd but also and more importantly easy to access for daily coffee drinkers. Me personally, I love discovering new coffees but what I love even more is getting people interested in the reality of the coffee supply chain and I am growing more and more aware of the fact, that canephora can be the perfect door opener.
N: Is the roasting process for Canephora beans significantly different from roasting Arabica beans? Can you discuss any challenges or advantages you've encountered in promoting Canephora beans to consumers, and how do you address misconceptions or preconceived notions about this coffee variety?
A: I think that’s answered above 😊
N: What is your preferred brew method or any brewing tips you'd recommend for the Chakra Warmi Natural anaerobic roast?
A: It’s a designated Filter Roast but we also recommend trying it for Espresso as we have taken it successfully to the German Barista Championship in 2023.
Key to brewing Canephora is letting it rest for 4-6 weeks. It takes quite some time to degas and becomes sweeter with every week.
N: Can you share your Graycano recipe with us?
A: My favorite dripper is the Graycano Dripper. It helps me focus on sweetness and body.
18g
25 Klicks Comandante
88°C
60ml 0:30 blooming
200ml 1:10
300ml 2:40
N: Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for Giovanna Kaffee or yourself this year?
A: The last years have been super exciting and also turbulent. This year is all about focussing on our personal resources and stabilizing what we have accomplished.
We have created a wonderful space that brings together all kinds of Communities with a local impact we could not have dreamed of. It’s about coffee but also about sharing skills and hobbies and bringing people together. I think that’s the perfect base for whatever might come across our ways in the next years.
But I can sure tell you: There will be even more #canephoraisthenewblack and #coffeecommunity. Thank you so much for including us in your so well curated Kaffeekiss Box <3
Thank you Anna! We’re so happy to be sharing Giovann's beans with our fellow coffee lovers!
