JulyJumbo

When you think of Ecuador, you might picture the Galápagos Islands or the equator line running through Quito. But the country's southern highlands tell a different story. Loja Province has been growing coffee since 1820, making it one of the oldest coffee-growing regions in the Americas. What we wanted to know is how a place most people have never heard of keeps producing coffees that win national competitions. What we learned is that Loja's producers never stopped caring, even when the rest of the world wasn't paying attention. Whether it's families who maintained heirloom Typica for generations, or second-generation farmers now experimenting with anaerobic fermentation and new varieties like Sidra, Ecuador's coffee story is about honoring what came before while reaching for what's next.