Gira del Café
Sources: Café de El Salvador (website)
The Gira del Café® is a recurring national touring event series organized by the Instituto Salvadoreño del Café (ISC) under the Café de El Salvador brand (cafedeelsalvador.com). It visits all six coffee-growing regions of El Salvador and serves multiple objectives simultaneously: promoting domestic coffee consumption, strengthening producer skills, creating commercial linkages, and boosting agri-tourism in each region.
The format has been running since at least 2020, with editions in:
- 2020: Apaneca-Ilamatepec (Apaneca), Tecapa Chinameca (Santiago de María)
- 2021: Alotepec-Metapán (La Palma, Chalatenango), Chichontepec (Guadalupe, San Vicente), Tecapa Chinameca (Berlín, Usulután)
- 2022: Apaneca-Ilamatepec (Juayúa), Tecapa Chinameca (Alegría, Usulután)
- 2023: El Bálsamo-Quezaltepec (Comasagua)
- 2024: Tecapa Chinameca (Santiago de María)
Format
Each Gira runs for approximately five consecutive days in a host municipality within one of the six coffee regions. Typical activities include:
Education and training (delivered by the Escuela de Café de El Salvador):
- Barismo I & II workshops
- Arte Latte
- Métodos de Preparación
- Talleres de Catación y Tueste
Producer services:
- Carnetización móvil (producer ID registration for the ISC Registro Cafetalero)
- Devoluciones del FEC (producer tax returns)
- Agricultural input distribution (e.g. fungicides)
- Technical training on agronomy, processing, and certification requirements
Commercial and cultural:
- Coffee competitions
- Barismo and methods demonstrations
- Coffee farm tours
- Exhibitions of regional products and services
Workshop fees are typically 11.30 per session; inauguration events are free. Capacity is limited and pre-registration required.
Strategic Relevance for Kaiserblick
The Gira creates several touch-points relevant to Kaiserblick:
- Domestic market visibility: Each edition attracts local buyers, café operators, and consumers in the host region — a channel for Kaiserblick’s local coffee distribution.
- Producer network: The educational and agricultural service components draw smallholder producers — Kaiserblick could participate as a speaker or exhibitor to build supplier relationships.
- ISC relationship: Exhibiting or co-presenting at a Gira edition (especially in Apaneca-Ilamatepec) reinforces Kaiserblick’s relationship with the ISC.