TYPICA | Direct Trade Specialty Coffee Platform | Direct Trade Specialty Coffee Platform

Pre-order, inventory, and invoice information up to July 31, 2024, can be viewed on the old platform.

We are all different and all wonderful. So is Coffee :)

All coffee lovers becoming one
through direct trade

TYPICA is an online platform where coffee producers and roasters from around the world
can engage in direct trade of rare and unique coffees, starting from just one jute bag.
We offer the diverse charms of coffees nurtured by the terroir
of their origins and the hands of each individual producer.

Our Community

95 countries and regions
167,026 producers
6,559 roasters

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Narratives

Narratives of Producers and Roasters

Meet the Producers

Bolivia

Producer: Fernando Calle
Farm/Processing Facility: Finca Isabel

Meet the Producers

Bolivia

Producer: Celso Mayta
Farm/Processing Facility: Golondrina

Meet the Roasters

Challenging the Common and Accepted to Create Harmony

Roaster: Jamie Strachan
Roaster: Dark Arts Coffee
Roaster brand: Diedrich

Meet the Producers

Panama

An Intersection of Different Paths

Producer: Andrés Lopez
Farm/Processing Facility: Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates

Meet the Producers

Kenya

Producer: Peter Muchiri
Farm/Processing Facility: Rockbern Coffee Group

Meet the Producers

Colombia

Undervalued No More: In Pursuit of a Genuine Cup

Producer: Pierre Fargetton / Catalina Gutiérrez
Farm/Processing Facility: CATA Export

Meet the Producers

Timor-Leste

Small Nation with Big Potential: Invigorating East Timor with Coffee

Producer: Bobby Lay
Farm/Processing Facility: Timor Global

Meet the Producers

El Salvador

Creating Better Future with Good Hearts

Producer: Hilda Martinez / Jose Martinez
Farm/Processing Facility: El Paraiso

Meet the Producers

Ethiopia

A New Era with a Start-up Founded by Powers of the Two

Producer: Mekuria Mergia
Farm/Processing Facility: Wete Ambela Coffee

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Journal

Gentle-Tasting Coffee from a Violence-Riddled Nation – Colombia's Melancholy

A country that serves as the entryway to the South American continent, Colombia is brimming with fascinating attractions beyond its world-famous coffee. It's a land of gold, emeralds, narcotics, and exotic orchids. The common trait amongst these is their uncanny ability to captivate the human heart, often leading lives astray. Despite Colombian coffee's renowned mildness, the society here has a historical undercurrent of violence. Years of political discord resulted in civil war, and it remains the sole South American nation still grappling with the existence of guerrillas. Add drug cartels to the mix, and you have a chilling portrait akin to the one painted by Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez, a native of Colombia. It begs the question: How did such mild coffee originate here?

Journal

Brewed by the Canal: Panama, the Country that Launched Geisha to Prominence

Stretching as far as the eye can see, the panoramic view is nothing but the ocean. The scenery from the deck of a cruise ship sailing across the vast sea is breathtaking. Especially in the early morning, witnessing the sunrise emerge from the horizon is a truly exceptional experience. In the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, the sun exerts its powerful presence, radiating a scorching heat as it ascends. It's as if standing right beside a blazing stove, feeling your entire body engulfed in warmth. Sipping coffee under the radiant light invigorates your spirit. Heading south in the Caribbean Sea towards Panama, I arrive at the birthplace of a legendary coffee known as the pinnacle of specialty coffee, Esmeralda Special.

Journal

The taste of freedom: The legacy of the revolution in Mexican coffee

Mexico is on the northern edge of the Coffee Belt, the equatorial region where coffee is most easily grown. Coffee production is limited to the south of the country, with the southernmost state of Chiapas being the biggest producer, responsible for 40% of the country’s total coffee production. Chiapas shares a border with Guatemala and was a part of the country until Mexico gained independence from Spain. Like their neighbors, the majority of residents are indigenous people of Mayan descent, and culturally they are closer to Guatemala. The flavor profile for Mexican coffee is also close to Guatemalan, but when it comes to quality, the difference in political policies between the two countries has had a significant effect.

Journal

#4 El Salvador

From the terror of war to a blueprint for peace: The resilience of El Salvador

El Salvador may be less than half the size of Costa Rica, but it is home to one of the largest populations in Central America with 6.5 million people. Living in such close quarters has fostered a sense of sincerity, resilience, and a strong work ethic within the Salvadorian people. And while most Latin American countries are known for their carefree and easygoing nature, El Salvador stands out for its calm demeanor and unshakeable loyalty. This personality is also reflected in the unique flavor of their coffee. However, there is another aspect to this loyalty. When it comes to war, Salvadorians are fiercely committed to their cause. In the civil war that lasted until 1992, left-wing guerillas rebelled against the right-wing government, and anyone considered an enemy was indiscriminately killed. In Nicaragua, tolerance was shown to enemies during the civil war, but in El Salvador, torture and brutal killings defined the conflict. In Spanish, El Salvador means “the Savior,” yet the country could not save itself from the horrors of civil war. Today, though memories of the civil war still haunt, peace has finally been restored. El Salvador is moving forward with its innate resilience and determination to rebuild the country.

Journal

The tumultuous politics and undaunted tenacious spirit of Nicaragua

Most coffee producing countries are relatively poor. Many are strangers to democracy, with an unstable political climate that is an easy target for dictatorial rule. Nicaragua is a textbook example. Civil war and revolution successfully removed the right-wing dictatorship, only to have a left-wing dictator step in and take power. My first visit to the country was in 1984, right in the middle of the civil war.

Journal

The indomitable spirit of the oppressed indigenous peoples of Guatemala

Guatemala. A country of towering volcanoes and dense jungle and home to the tallest mountain in Central America at 4,000 meters above sea level. Hidden in the depths of the jungle are pyramids built by the ancient Maya, carved with hieroglyphs and complex calendars. The ancestors of this great civilization are thought to be an indigenous tribe. Guatemala has the largest proportionate population of indigenous peoples in Latin America. These were the people enslaved by Spanish colonials and forced to work on coffee plantations. Coffee from Guatemala with its rich flavor and distinct acidity is popular in Japan. The cruel history of oppression that leaves a bitter aftertaste, however, is less well known.

Journal

Pure Life – “Mild Country” Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a Spanish phrase meaning “a rich coast”. But it doesn’t mean the country is rich with oil or other resources. What it does have are people with gentle, kind hearts. When you get off a plane at the airport in the capital San José, the first thing that catches your eyes will be wall posters with a message, “Welcome to the Happiest Country of the World.” In fact, Costa Rica has ranked first in the United Nations survey of happiness levels around the world. Though materially poor, Costa Rica is emotionally rich. And what brought happiness to this developing nation was coffee.

Journal

Prologue

Around the World with Coffee: How Specialty Coffee is Changing the Industry

Nowadays, you can know a lot about coffee. The variety of bean, the best brewing technique, the exact farm it was made on, the historical background. Each cup of coffee comes with an encyclopedic catalog of information. But even with all that, how much do we really know about Guatemala, Colombia, or any of the places that label our coffee packets? Nicaragua and Costa Rica may share a border, but their national characters have little in common. Mexico and Brazil are separated by continents with differences in everything from soil to society. And of course, this has an effect on the produce.

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