Coffee Spanish: The Language of Coffee in Latin America is Spanish*
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| Cup of coffee. Flamenco Center, Havana, Cuba, Latin America. Photo: Baltic Media. |
All of us who call the wonderful world of specialty coffee home know that we have our own language that can easily cause confusion and division when misunderstood or misapplied. But for those of us who work with coffee professionals on the coffee-origin side in Latin America, there is an additional layer of communication challenge. The language of coffee in Latin America is Spanish. This “Coffee Spanish” doesn’t abide by simple Spanish translations. More often than not it is a tangled web of jargon, slang, and colloquialisms sprinkled with enough regional and country differences to make your head spin. These language differences can make or break relationships and business agreements.
As
coffee professionals on the buying side (buyers, roasters, baristas, importers,
exporters, etc.), the final handshake is the culmination of a long series of
events. It might involve hours of air travel, hundreds of miles of driving down
dusty roads, hiking the farms, and finally cupping the coffee. Success in
coffee is predicated on knowing both technical jargon and social niceties that
build relationships. A myriad of challenges awaits the coffee professional
aiming to bring home the pride of a producer. All the hard work, dedication,
and relationship building can be shattered with a misunderstood technical
processing term or poor understanding of cultural and societal traditions. The
intricate details that play a hand in negotiations and relationships are some
of the primary challenges for the vast majority of coffee professionals. It is
more than a simple lack of Spanish or English fluency, but comes down to
understanding the coffee-centric technical language used in both English and
Spanish. Knowing what the local preferences are for appearance, conversation,
and business often play unseen, albeit powerful, roles.
Communication is a tricky subject in Latin America.
Green buyers and drinkers from consuming countries bring with them their own
tasting lexicon and grading standards. And often the words and phrases they
have learned in other producing countries. Though sometimes understood by
larger, more storied operations, these items rarely translate for the farmers,
millers, and other men and women making the daily operation run. Scouting for a
new relationship and dashing off into the mountains of, say, Bolivia without
understanding the differences in language, grading, and growing that exist
there will torpedo any chance of establishing a meaningful relationship. Take,
for example, interpretations of weight and distance. A quintal is a Latin American unit of measure with
different meanings to different people in the supply chain depending on a
number of technical factors and math equations. Assuming it means one thing in
negotiations when, to the producer, it means something else, can strain relationships,
logistics, and financial agreements.
Success in coffee is predicated on knowing both
technical jargon and social niceties that build relationships.
A simple translation of the term morteador in Mexico may be understood, but applied
in Peru the producer could, at best, be confused and, at worst, be insulted
that you wish he would destroy his coffee. Over years of traveling to
coffee-growing communities and attempting to communicate with people at every
point along the coffee supply chain, we have found that communities often use
very different words and phrases for the exact same technical terms involved in
coffee from seed to cup. Many of these words defy literal translation,
resulting in frustration.
It
is important to understand the culture and try to be the best damn Ecuadorian
or Salvadoran or Mexican you can be when visiting. Leave your American,
British, or Korean world behind and step into the shoes of your hosts. Drink
the local beer, visit local festivals and shops, and most importantly, express
sincere gratitude for the time spent and people met during your journey. In
other words, lighten up and dive into the local culture.
Many
of the experts and producers we spoke with in producing countries could not
express this enough. “Don’t pick your nose at a meeting,” writes Luis Rodrigues
of Caferium in El Salvador, “and always bring a little present for your host.”
You should know that everyone loves coffee T-shirts. Bring a few from home and
a nice selection of coffees from remote regions. You will win coffee friends
for life.
Coffee
friends are the best friends to have. Improving your understanding of the
language of coffee is a killer foundation for any coffee professional. Whether
you are a green coffee buyer, roaster, barista, café owner, importer, or
production bagger, it behooves you to learn Spanish as a language and, as
importantly, to learn Coffee Spanish. Knowledge and application of the social
norms and cultural variations of the regions in coffee lands will build
meaningful coffee relationships that last.
At
it’s heart, specialty coffee is about people, and the key to opening the door
to people is language.
Spanish Terms to Know
Here
are a few Coffee Spanish words and phrases that will help you build bridges
whether you are visiting origin countries or simply exchanging emails or
tweets. You won’t be a fluent Spanish speaker, but as Edwin Martinez of Onyx
Coffee says maybe it will help you “look a little less foolish.”
·
mas o menos = more or less. But really: I will try; it
will be sorta close to what we just sorta agreed to; and other wonderful ideas.
·
está bien = it’s OK. But really: chillout, relax,
don’t worry, I forgive you, it’s cool; invariably leads to sharing a beer &
laughing.
·
chivo/chido = cool. But know which version each
country uses as using the wrong one is an insult.
·
Me gusta mucho su café! = I like your coffee!
·
beneficio humido/seco. In most Latin American
countries (but not all) these are the terms for a wet mill/dry mill.
·
pergamino/cafe seco = parchment coffee (coffee with
yellow husk still on).
·
oro/cafe verde = green coffee. Oro is gold because
green
coffee is like gold!
coffee is like gold!
*Writer: Andy Newbom is director of
coffee for IPCoffees Speciality Imports and Andrew Russo is the founder of consultancy company Russo Roasts Coffee. The two authored Coffee for Spanish Buyers, a new guide to help
overcome communication barriers at origin.
Source: Fresh Cup Magazine
Spanish Translation and Localization Services
Spanish language
Language family: Indo-European languages, Romance languages, Spanish
Spanish is spoken in Spain and former colonies, including Central America, South America (except Brazil), Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara, parts of the US and some countries in Asia. Spanish is also called Castilian. Next to English, Spanish is the most spoken language in the world.
Spanish is spoken in Spain and former colonies, including Central America, South America (except Brazil), Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara, parts of the US and some countries in Asia. Spanish is also called Castilian. Next to English, Spanish is the most spoken language in the world.
Official language of: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, Venezuela, European Union
Language code ISO 639-1: ES
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