Nepal’s geographic and climatic conditions deliver the finest quality coffee, and so far Gulmi, Nuwakot, Lalitpur, Kavre, Palpa, Syangja, Kaski and Sidhupalchok have been <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Bean-there,271">traditionally famous for beans</a>.&nbsp; Now, even eastern Nepal is proving itself to have the ideal conditions for coffee plantation. In the village of Simma in the Arun Valley, men are mixing fresh soil, women and children pack saplings into plastic sacks, and men water coffee plants under the hot sun. After four years of careful planning by Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa of Ekuwa Makalu Ward 3, who is the founder of the non-profit NPO Nepal, the coffee farm is finally seeing substantial growth.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230902040932_82d14dd212d800e7c02b56394e5fd25235f34a6d91f732464c58ad8144a0e683.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230902040932_82d14dd212d800e7c02b56394e5fd25235f34a6d91f732464c58ad8144a0e683" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="3024" loading="lazy" alt="Coffee in eastern Nepal"> </figure>  It was only five months ago that Sherpa and Chun Bahadur Rai, an agricultural officer based in Bhaktapur and a local, introduced the coffee plant to farmers from Simma and other neighbouring villages.&nbsp; Locals were enthusiastic about the cash crop, and Makalu Ward 3 officer Badri Bahadur Rai convinced them that a coffee farm can support local incomes even as the productivity of cardamom drops. Cardamom has been one of the highest income sources for residents in the Sankhuwasabha district for over two decades. But after 25 lucrative years, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GDknKlenWg&amp;t=1s">crops are reaching the end of their lifespan</a> and suffering from fungal and pest diseases. Nepal’s cardamom production has declined by an estimated 20% since 2021, and export is down by 30%. Simma resident Karna Bahadur Gurung was earning Rs100,000 for every 40kg of cardamom he sold until recently. Farmers now get only one-fourth of that amount. “Few people still have cardamom, but I see the fields are all dying,” notes Gurung. “It was unreal for everybody to get so much money from cardamom, nothing else can pay us that much.” Cardamom crops also reduce the fertility of the soil, and it can take decades for it to be viable again. Still, Gurung hopes to plant cardamom again once the soil has recovered. While the profit has significantly decreased, cardamom remains the largest income source for many in this region below Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain. The hope is that coffee can remedy the income gap caused by the decline of cardamom. The global organic coffee market is expected to continue to grow rapidly and reach an estimated $20-30 billion by 2030. Nepal has been slow to adopt coffee compared to other countries, but <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Nepali-specialty-coffee,4106">domestic and international demand for organic coffee has risen</a>.&nbsp; Nepal’s coffee export reached an all-time high in 2021-2022 at Rs117 million. There is a lot of potential for Nepal to grow its organic coffee industry even more, and Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa is bringing this crop to rural Sankhuwasabha.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230902040944_3f675e98b9ce994db370bada114a37af40e3e8aeccfeac693a3a7fc5b569256e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230902040944_3f675e98b9ce994db370bada114a37af40e3e8aeccfeac693a3a7fc5b569256e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Coffee in eastern Nepal"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230902040948_6dddab6ec8fa3c21ae36bbf1b9393cb53c7f6292158cbdac0b57f34fdd4c1e26.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230902040948_6dddab6ec8fa3c21ae36bbf1b9393cb53c7f6292158cbdac0b57f34fdd4c1e26" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Coffee in eastern Nepal"> </figure>  Sherpa is also involved in school and health clinic initiatives in the Makalu region, and was looking for income sources to substitute cardamom. He wanted to see if coffee trees could thrive in the area after having seen them in Pokhara and Solu Khumbu. Sherpa’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-himalayan-odyssey">trekking</a> clients were also interested in tasting Nepal’s local organic coffee while visiting the country and he was made aware of the large foreign market for local flavours.&nbsp; He was also concerned that everyone in the village was migrating abroad for work, and was exploring ways to increase local income sources. He planted the first coffee seeds in Simma four years ago, and watched them grow into trees within a year. It was clear that Makalu’s soil and climate are ideal for a sustainable coffee farm. Sherpa approached the mayor with a proposal to develop a larger nursery, and the local government gave Rs400,000 for the project. Other villages are seeking similar alternatives: Uwa is beginning an orange farm, and Ulling is looking at honey production. Last month, as the monsoon rains arrived, Simma residents of all ages were packing fresh soil and tree saplings into small plastic nursery bags to be distributed to households. Both young and old helped each other, reflecting the richness of community bond here that is vital for the coffee project to succeed.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230902040944_d386153e932fa31ca723e1e9c393cf09bfcc279d2fc7d721f8c159dc7c87f2aa.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230902040944_d386153e932fa31ca723e1e9c393cf09bfcc279d2fc7d721f8c159dc7c87f2aa" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="3024" loading="lazy" alt="Coffee in eastern Nepal"> </figure>  There has been little top-down oversight of this project. There is trust and confidence that residents will put care and effort into nurturing their coffee plantation. Generational knowledge of farming, collective energy, and a deep concern for the future of their home and children is critical to the success of this project. Locals are cautiously optimistic. Says Karna Bahadur Gurung: “We still do not know how the new coffee plants will fare, no one else has done it in our area before. We must be patient and care for the trees first.”&nbsp; Hanna Wells is a Fulbright scholar researching the impact of the Kosi Highway project on traditional livelihoods in Makalu Municipality.

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Make way for Makalu Coffee

<figure><img width="1000" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141124/636a58d79c7e80680e05485fjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: REETI K.C.</figcaption></figure>The spiral metal staircase leads to a glass door. A gentle push and you bathe in the aroma of coffee. The grinding of beans, clanking of cups and gurgling of a freshly brewed cuppa, and you are in coffee heaven. Located in the centre of the city, Himalayan Java in Lazimpat is a perfect hub to work, get together with friends, or just drop in for some coffee on the way to work. The new franchise launched a month ago is already as busy as other Himalayan Java outlets around the city. However, this one is a little different, and you notice it the moment you enter the café. The interior has a rustic feel, with an unfinished cement floor, uncovered metal bars that support the roof, and unique furniture. Each table and chair is unique, in look and feel. Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/business/Gagan-Pradhan-and-Himalayan-Java,1076" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coffee with Gagan</a>, Ramjee DahalThere’s a big couch, a tall comfy chair, and a colourful metal seat. And one cannot miss a brown couch for one, for those who come alone and want to feel special. Anku Sherpa from Kathmandu Mandal Eatery (KME), a Himalayan Java partner, told us that the furniture choices were made by five of his colleagues.  Overall, the place feels like a large attic, with its mismatched furniture, glass walls and bookshelves, all enticing you to stay just a little longer. But the highlight of the décor is the movie camera that was used to shoot 1991 Nepali movie Deuta, starring Rajesh Hamal, the iconic film that kicked off the career of the country’s biggest screen star. Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Nepali-specialty-coffee,4106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riding coffee’s Third Wave</a>, Sikuma Rai <img width="564" height="750" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141124/636a58d99c7e80680e054860jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141124/636a58db9c7e80680e054861jpeg.jpg" alt="">Himalayan Java is rightly best known for its coffee, but little is said about its growing food menu. It is on par with the java, and a must try. The most popular dishes are fish and chips, spaghetti with meatballs and sandwiches and burgers. The fish has a perfect crunchy outer crust and soft meat inside, the spaghetti is cooked just right and the burger patty is fresh and meaty. Vegetarians have equally good options, and pizza will be available in coming weeks. With indoor and outdoor seating and ample parking, Java in Lazimpat is a hideaway. Get there before it is found out.Read also:<a style="outline: 0px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/four-years-later-nepal-farmers-rise-from-the-rubble/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four years later, Nepal’s farmers rise from the rubble</a>, Lisa Choegyal

Java in the Himalaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hUzmFktVAsHis hair graying and receding, his gaunt and weathered face creased with laughter wrinkles, Narayan Wagle looks out over the city from his 8th floor newsroom and pours out his exasperation of trying to juggle journalism with fiction.After two novels in 14 years, the editor of Kantipur has returned to non-fiction with his new book, Koreana Coffee Guff that employs the chatty style he developed in his newspaper columns, but written from his experiences in Korea. After trying to use fiction to get closer to the truth, and hit by writer’s block on his third novel, the journalist seems to have come a full circle.“The characters in my new novel were not behaving the way I wanted them to,” Wagle says, breaking into easy mirth. “If they are saying things I do not want them to say, then I could not take the plot in the direction I wanted to.”So, Wagle put his characters into hibernation and turned to non-fiction. The journalist in writer was inspired by his sixth trip to Korea to make that country the backdrop for his narrative. Even though there are over 70,000 Nepali workers in Korea, he did not interact with too many of them, and they do not figure in his book.Wagle used to have a popular column called Coffee Guff during his first stint at Kantipur in the 1990s, and he has reverted to its meandering conversations interspersed with monologues and philosophical observations in Koreana. Even though it is an account of his travels in Korea, Wagle says it is not a  travelogue but ‘creative non-fiction’.Read also<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=572#.XG6MZaIzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">: Fiction more real than fact</a>, Kunda Dixit<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101152/636a26e99c7e80680e043a40jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1300" height="966"/><figcaption>Photo: Monika Deupala</figcaption></figure>“Every day I deal with the ins and outs of news, which has a limited writing style, but there is a creative writer in me that seeks release, and that is why I combine them in creative non-fiction,” Wagle explains.Wagle does find ways to be creative in journalism as well, but says that is only the surface. Actually, he is always curious about what is hidden between the lines. That takes him to explore different facets of life through other writings. But since journalism is a hectic job in itself that sometimes takes more than the normal 8-hour workday, he is left with little time to write. But there is always time to read.“To be a good writer, you must read as much as possible, which is what I try to do when I have time left over after deadline,” says Wagle showing the translated books that he carries around in his bag. “It is important to read world literature, I am intrigued by how people express their thoughts in creative ways in different languages.”In his novelist avatar, Narayan Wagle shot to fame in 2005 after winning the Madan Puraskar for his first novel <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/palpasa-caf%C3%A9-translated-in-french,1847">Palpasa Café</a>, which is set during the war. His second novel Mayur Times was not as well receivied, stranding him in a mid-career crisis for almost a decade.Palpasa Café has been translated into four languages, but most Nepali literature is not known outside Nepal because of the lack of translations. Wagle, however, thinks Nepali literature must first try to be world class to be taken seriously by the world.“Rather than thinking of where we are on the world stage, I think it is important to develop our own voice first. Once we focus on developing a strong reading and writing culture, and on creating literature that represents the diversity of Nepal, only then can we think of taking it outside,” he says.Wagle can often be seen commuting to work on foot, taking gangly steps along the dusty sidewalks of Patan. It almost seems as if he is searching for the lost characters of his next novel so he can get them to behave themselves again.Read also<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/written-locally-read-globally/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">: Written locally, read globally</a>, Sewa Bhattarai

Novelist returns to non-fiction

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a26429c7e80680e043a06jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"/><figcaption>Lila Devi Funyal, President of Gyanjyoti Agriculture Multipurpose Cooperative at Fikure tends her coffee saplings for distribution.</figcaption></figure>“I’m shaken and rattled to the bone,” exclaims Ambica as we lurch uphill, the vehicles skidding on exposed stones and sliding off the deeply gouged ruts. The driver wrestles with the wheel of the sturdy Indian SUV, zigzagging our way up the tortuous mountain road. I hold on to the back of Ambica’s seat as we pitch and roll like a boat in heavy seas.Climbing higher out of the murky air, the dusty roadside foliage, bamboo stands and delicate ferns give way to thinning conifers, blue skies and views of jagged soaring scenery. Between the trees, layers of hazy hilltops recede to rocky ridges newly dusted with snow, and the occasional glimpse of a distant white peak. Across the Trisuli Valley we can follow the scar of the Pasang Lhamu Highway snaking its way to the Kerung-Rasuwa border through a vast hillside dotted with habitation, a silver thread of river far below.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a26469c7e80680e043a07jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="132">Our band of bouncing and bruised Rotarians is visiting three thriving women’s cooperatives in remote <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/crumbling-history-nuwakot,3698" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nuwakot</a> villages, way off the beaten track even though within sight of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/bordering-on-helplessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese border</a> and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-reincarnation-of-a-holy-valley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Langtang</a> tourist trails across the valley. Although we are in one of the worst earthquake affected areas, we see little sign of damage. The hillside villages are characterised by new one-story concrete houses pieced with metal rebar spikes waiting for the next floor. “Mexicans call them ‘fingers of hope’,” says Isabella, the minister’s wife.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a26469c7e80680e043a08jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>It is nearly four years since the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2015/05/27/a-month-that-felt-like-a-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquakes</a> rocked our existence in Nepal, and we all have our own personal stories seared into our memories. Mine involve running barefoot onto my house lawn, hanging onto a garden chair for stability as terracotta tiles rain off the roof, my little red car buffeting back and forth in the driveway, and in the distance an unnatural pall of dust rising eerily to obscure the Valley floor. Most of us were lucky, but an unexpected rumble still startles, evoking the roar of that terrible great shake.The countryside narrative is different. No amount of sterile statistics or dry data reporting the extent of devastation in Nepal’s central middle hills can prepare us for the reality of suffering on the ground. This is why we are here. With most men gone to labour overseas, the <a href="https://www.bpwnepal.org.np/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federation of Business and Professional Women of Nepal</a> (BPWN) led by the indomitable Ambica Shrestha and her team, with donations from our Rotary Mid-Town, have been assisting these courageous lady farmers to diversify and rebuild their lives. Organic vegetables and the introduction of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Nepali-specialty-coffee,4106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mountain coffee</a>, a new commodity for Nepal’s hill regions, are supplementing the traditional crops of subsistence agriculture and helping recovery after the disaster.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a264a9c7e80680e043a09jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>We sit on plastic chairs as the deputy mayor Maya Devi Neupane, a red woollen scarf wrapped around her dark head, explains that 90% of the Kahule village houses were damaged. These industrious people have cleared and shovelled and toiled and saved, managing to reconstruct and restore their <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/genuine-earthquake-survivors-missing-from-housing-grant-list%20,3498">shattered homes</a>. Other than a few cracked walls, only a tangled heap of concrete slabs and rubble catch our attention as being obvious <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/earth-bricks-for-cleaner-and-healthier-kathmandu,4161">earthquake destruction</a> remaining unattended – we are told it was the new Fikure police post, inaugurated only the day before the worst tremor. “I tried to shelter there, thinking it would be the safest place,” smiles Lila Devi Funyal. “But I got out in time.”Maya Devi’s rare qualities first came to Ambica’s notice when she refused a gift of 80 emergency relief packages in May 2015. “I can’t accept these,” the soft-spoken but steely leader told a puzzled Ambica. “I have 100 families in my village and it is too difficult and not fair if I return with only 80 parcels to distribute.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a264d9c7e80680e043a0ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="2000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Putting their heads together as how best to help, Maya Devi came up with the concept of high value, organic, mountain Arabica <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Bean-there,271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coffee</a>, just a few trees per family. She requested Ambica for training on how to cultivate and process the coffee fruit, a tree that requires little water, offers annual yields without replanting, and grows on unused edges of terraces and fields. Only by combined effort and some outside assistance would it make economic sense for these semi-literate ladies to take such a risky step towards a brighter future.An enterprising neighbour had planted the idea years ago, a shy farmer Chetra Bahadur Tamang, who had never seen a coffee tree or tasted a fresh brewed cup but was convinced by an informative Radio Nepal broadcast that this was the cash crop for his community. He walked to Kathmandu to purchase a hundred seedlings, but was disappointed by the bitter, unpalatable concoction that the bushes eventually yielded. “Not understanding how to harvest or process, I was so disillusioned that I even chopped down some of the coffee trees,” he confesses, crossing his slender ankles.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101148/636a26509c7e80680e043a0bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Swathed in thick jackets, sensible shoes,and welcome garlands our small delegation trudge through the enthusiastic coffee villages, observe the ‘cherry’ sorting, pulping and composting, inspect 'parchment' drying on rooftops, and admire nurseries of thriving saplings in homemade greenhouses. We are briefed on market linkages for the unroasted beans, and savour organic fruit and vegetable produce grown by the same innovative women’s groups.Driving home through <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2017/05/10/new-korean-prez-visited-nepal/">Nuwakot</a>’s capital, Bidur, last week at the end of a long day, diggers, trucks and bulldozers were plying the border highway, shaping culverts, gabion cages and road surfaces. The Trisuli riverbed is rapaciously mined for gravel and sand. Our vehicle is heavy with gifts in appreciation of Ambica’s work: fragrant cauliflowers, onions, yams and huge cabbages, the soil still clinging to their stalks. As we crest the Kathmandu Valley rim we are greeted with an ocean of glittering lights. The city roads are rough and pitted with no sign of that rural diligence, but perhaps one day our capital's cappuccinos will be made with organic mountain coffee from Nuwakot.

Lisa Choegyal

Four years later, Nepal's farmers rise from the rubble

Coffee connoisseurs are touting the Third Wave of the beverage: moving beyond the coffee-shop culture epitomised by Starbucks to one that values knowledge of the cherries and beans from the plant to the cup, served up via independent cafés.Like craft beers and boutique hotels, specialty coffee is sweeping the world. In Nepal, however, the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board continues to label all coffee ‘The Himalayan Specialty’ without first doing a proper quality check, which is misleading consumers and risks leaving local producers shut out of global markets. But an increasing number of growers in Nepal are waking up to smell the coffee.<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kdf4A98loE8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></center>“I am continuously hunting for the best coffee origins in Nepal,” says Q-grader Nima Tenzing Sherpa of <a href="http://www.lekalicoffee.com/" target="blank">Lekali Coffee Estate</a>, who believes producing Specialty-grade beans is the only future for Nepal’s coffee industry. “The potential is there, but the perspective of farmers towards coffee needs upgrading because they are the first one handling the cherries.”Nepal’s geographic and climatic conditions are ideal for growing the finest quality coffee beans: shaded hills situated between 1,000m and 2,000m with both ample sunlight and rain. Farmers have been quick to recognise the potential of this global beverage: 32,186 of them in 41 districts are now growing coffee.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/636515329c7e80680e02c1a0jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Lekali coffee estateProducing Specialty-grade coffee starts with selectively picking the red cherries, then storing the green beans away from moisture. Experts like Raj Kumar Banjara <a href="http://himalayanarabica.com/" target="blank">Himalayan Arabica Coffee</a>, which has been Speciality-certified, says currently there are weaknesses all along the supply chain.Banjara is Nepal’s first ‘Q-grader’, certified by the <a href="https://sca.coffee/" target="blank">Specialty Coffee Association of America</a> to rank Speciality Arabica coffee, and says that without more such growers and laboratories to quality test them, Nepal’s coffee will continue struggle for consistency. The effects of climate change have added another complication to that quest.According to Sanat Raj Thala, roaster and brewer of Coffee Time:“If the whole process of producing and packaging of Nepali coffee was done with more scientific research and stricter standards, not only international but domestic markets would be able to enjoy its own product.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/636515339c7e80680e02c1a1jpeg.jpg" alt="">Thala does concede that it will take time for local consumers, used to instant coffee heavy on milk and sugar, to appreciate the Specialty coffee flavour. <a href="http://nepalitimes.com/article/business/Gagan-Pradhan-and-Himalayan-Java,1076" target="blank">Coffee culture</a> is still young in Nepal though the country counts more than 1,200 cafés today. Converting the nation of tea devotees to coffee lovers is a major challenge, which would have obvious impact on the tea industry.Another hurdle making local producers bitter is a burgeoning black market in lower-quality Indian coffee beans that undercut the Nepali beans. All these challenges will need to be overcome if Nepal’s product is to become part of the global, highly profitable, Third Wave of coffee.<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0MDlDf-53q0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" data-mce-fragment="1"></iframe></center><h2>What is the Third Wave?</h2>First Wave: Profit-driven, mass marketing, air tight containers and instant coffee. Consumption of coffee worldwide starts growing.Second Wave: Artisan-driven, origin and roasting style become important, epitomised by Starbucks and espresso.Third Wave: Characteristics of the beverage take centre stage: origin of the beans, consistent processing techniques and roasting style. Independent coffee shops demonstrate craftsmanship and knowledge of coffee beans from plant to the cup, promoting ethics and transparency.<h2>The Coffee University</h2>It has been less than two months since <a href="http://unicaffe.illy.com/" target="blank">Università Del Caffé</a> inaugurated its 28th branch, and first in Nepal. Yet, it has already completed three Coffee Expert and Coffee Lovers course. The Italian coffee university located at the <a href="http://silvermountain.edu.np/index.php?p1=fullwidth_school&amp;p2=20&amp;mid=15" target="blank">Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management</a>, is dedicated to upgrading Nepalis’ knowledge of coffee, starting from the coffee plantations to the processing right up to training baristas.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/636515359c7e80680e02c1a2jpeg.jpg" alt="">Ryan ChangThe university offers four courses: Coffee Lovers is for those who seek knowledge about the types of beans and their origins. Coffee Expert, including two days of internship, is beginner-friendly, while Master Barista includes tastings. Tailored Consultancy is offered as a customised workshop for those with unique needs.According to Moreno Faina, director of Università Del Caffé,what sets the institution apart is its scientific laboratories, research and intensive field works. “The results are translated to fit the understanding and knowledge level of the Nepali market,” says Faina.With a café-like ambience showcasing various brewing equipment, coffee cups and coffee from Illy, the founding brand of the university, this little hub is a great place to start a conversation about coffee over a cup of coffee.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/636515379c7e80680e02c1a3jpeg.jpg" alt=""> Coffee flowers are white, small and fragrant.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/636515389c7e80680e02c1a4jpeg.jpg" alt=""> The plant starts bearing cherries after 3-5 years of plantation.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/6365153a9c7e80680e02c1a5jpeg.jpg" alt=""> Cherries are sun-dried or wet-processed for pulping.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/6365153c9c7e80680e02c1a6jpeg.jpg" alt=""> Pulped seeds are fermented, washed and dried again.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141132/6365153e9c7e80680e02c1a7jpeg.jpg" alt=""> After the outer layer is removed, beans are graded and sorted.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141136/636515409c7e80680e02c1a8jpeg.jpg" alt=""> Green beans are roasted to achieve various chemical properties.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221104141136/636515429c7e80680e02c1a9jpeg.jpg" alt=""> Roasted beans are grounded right before brewing for best results.<h2>Who is a Q-Grader?</h2>A Licensed Q-Grader is a highly trained and calibrated coffee expert who professionally grades Specialty Arabica coffee under Specialty Coffee Association of America protocols. They are authentic on tasting, cupping and evaluating coffee quality very objectively.Raj Kumar Banjara, Nepal’s first Q-Grader who recently returned from China after renewal of his license.