We, Evelyn and Tanja, are longtime friends and since the beginning of 2023 the women power team behind MishkiYaku. Together we want to follow the path of specialty coffee from now on and pursue the dream of a better future for our home country Ecuador.
But how did it all begin? As is often the case, the story behind MishkiYaku started with love. Evelyn's love and longing for our home country Ecuador and with Evelyn's husband Robert's love for an enjoyable cup of coffee from the Andes. Whenever Evelyn came back to Berlin from visits to her old home country, she had to bring him a big suitcase full of Ecuadorian coffee. That was then his supply for a whole year - until Evelyn left again for another visit. There were also always a few packs as presents for family and friends. They all always raved about the Ecuadorian coffee and asked for more. Each time, the bags got fuller, bigger and heavier.
We wondered what was so special about Ecuadorian coffee. The diversity of the country, the high altitudes of the Andes, the humid warmth of the rainforest, the salt of the Pacific? A multitude of exotic varieties find perfect conditions here.
The beans that thrive on the equator are extremely popular with connoisseurs. Some even claim they are the best in the world. But Ecuadorian coffee is largely unknown in Europe. And we want to change that.
So Evelyn got in touch with a coffee producer in the Andes - near our hometown of Quito - and had a few bags of his current crop sent to her. With the help of an experienced roaster from Berlin, the coffee was then roasted and brought from the bags to your cups. On May 21, 2021, Evelyn and her husband Robert decided to build a coffee empire, even though they initially had little idea about coffee. Nowadays, of course, that has long since changed.
A year and a half later and with a few more experiences under her belt, Tanja came into the picture, enthusiastic about the company, the idea behind it and her love for Ecuador. We, Evelyn and Tanja, agreed relatively quickly to take the next steps together as a strong team of women and to fulfill our dream. Due to our different backgrounds in various fields, we complement each other perfectly. Robert continues to support us with heart and soul in logistics, sales processing and cupping and is always there to help with words and deeds.
Both of us would now like to invite you to join us on our journey of discovery. We would like to share with you our learning process, our hopefully not too big setbacks and our hopefully soon to come successes. Join us in the places where our coffee is grown. Let's visit the local farmers together. Be there when the beans are harvested and fermented. Pack the jute bags with us and join us in line at customs. Let's roast, weigh and pack the beans together. Let's enjoy a cup of good coffee together and let's learn together why life is too short for cheap coffee.
Ecuador has the best conditions for the kind of coffee we want to make and is a model of biodiversity for the world. We truly feel that Ecuador preserved something we in modern societies have lost. We want to bring more Ecuador to Europe and show our strong connection with this beautiful country.
All aspects, from procurement to sales, are characterized by close cooperation and an open and personal approach by all stakeholders. Only together we can guarantee our customers high-quality, sustainable and socially traded specialty coffee.
We want to raise your awareness of the social and environmental impact of coffee consumption. Reflecting the complex global process of coffee consumption, fragile livelihoods in coffee countries, and the impact of coffee production and consumption on planet Earth is at the core of our small business.
We believe sustainability in coffee starts with the financial sustainability of farmers. To make a difference, we believe we must start with ourselves by creating coffee experiences that contribute to their development.
MishkiYaku, a word from the ecuadorian Kichwa, means "delicious water" and refers to the sugary nectar that the hummingbirds sip from small calyxes with their long, thin beaks. They inhabit almost all regions of Ecuador. They are as diverse as the country itself and are frequent guests of the coffee plantations. Furthermore, in the mythology of the ancient Incas, they are considered the messengers of people's thoughts and desires.
The company imports raw ("green") Arabica coffee beans with high quality rating (currently the varieties Caturra, Typica and Sidra) from, small selected Ecuadorian plantations to Germany. Here the beans are roasted by David Rozali, an experienced roaster and Q-grader, using the traditional drum roasting method. The distribution takes place via our online store. What is special about our company is the direct trade; the short supply chains, immediate quality control, the targeted roasting of the beans according to their respective characteristics. We ensure sustainable packaging and production and an explosive taste experience.