Enjoy Some Smooth Brew from San Diego Coffee Merchant
You
can smell it as soon as you enter Kobey’s
Swap Meet’s main entrance: the dark, fragrant aroma
of coffee, ground fresh on the premises.
The San Diego Coffee Merchant, operated by the Valenzuela family, offers 15 varieties
of locally roasted Arabica coffee beans
and at least 29 flavored coffees using beans from Columbia.
Most of their beans are imported directly from Colombia,
but roasted at their warehouse locally in San Diego. Besides
Columbian, they also offer coffee from Costa Rica, Kenya,
Guatemala and Brazil as well as a Kona blend.
The
Valenzuela’s
have been grinding coffee for a growing number of regular
clients at Kobey’s for
twelve years in space B16 Saturday and Sunday. In
addition to their Kobey’s retail location, the San
Diego Coffee Merchant wholesales their brand of java to
downtown coffee shops, as well as those in Tijuana, Ensenada
and Rosarito in Baja, Mexico.
San
Diego Coffee Merchant prices are a little lower than
what you’d
expect to pay for quality gourmet coffee, $5 for 1/2 lb. or
$9 per pound.
A
little about coffee’s origins.
Coffee beans grown in Columbia, Kenya and most of Central
America
are known
in the industry as washed Arabica. Arabica beans are considered
higher quality, and are identified with mild, yet potent,
gourmet coffees. This coffee is usually shade grown. Robustas,
grown in Africa and Asia under sun, produce coffee higher
in caffeine and acidity. Robusta beans are used in the
production of most common name-brand, canned coffee sold
at the grocery store.
San Diego Coffee Merchant's prices are $6 per half pound or $11 per pound. Additional quantities are available.
Satisfy
your coffee cravings at the San Diego Coffee Merchant
in space B16 every Sat. and Sun.
Article from April 2009 Issue
of Kobey's Magazine.
Prices and items subject to change.