Proyecto Diaz Coffee ~ A Family Rooted In Coffee

 Introducing Proyecto Diaz, a Latino-owned coffee roaster rooted in family tradition and community care. Their beans are sourced directly from family farms in Oaxaca, and every cup tells a story of heritage, sustainability, and culture.

 Coffee is more than just energy to wake you up. It is a drink that is filled with flavor and vitality. Coffee is a drink that should be a part of a healthy lifestyle, and the right coffee beans make all the difference. When you select the right coffee beans, your cup of coffee tastes better.

I think coffee drinkers can be placed in two groups, maybe three.

  1. I need coffee now! - You have the folks who drink coffee for the caffeine and don't put much thought into the quality of the coffee. They need coffee to wake up. They are the folks who grab their cup of coffee first thing in the morning at the most convenient place.

  2. I love coffee. - Then there are those who select their coffee for the taste and the experience. They may even select their coffee with the flavor notes. These are the ones who may make their coffee at home with their unique brewing methods.

 3. I need coffee that tastes good. - The last group may be a combination of the other groups. They want a good-tasting cup of coffee and the energy that it gives them. These people are the ones who seek out the best coffee shop to get their caffeine fix.

Where do you fall among these coffee drinker groups? I am coffee group #2. I love the taste of coffee and drink it for the health benefits. I select my coffee beans based on the coffee notes and where the coffee beans are grown. I make my coffee at home with the pour-over method and drink it slowly to experience the flavor.

Proyecto Diaz Coffee ~ Caffeinate With Purpose

 Last month at the Winter Fancy Fair Show, I discovered a coffee brand that comes from a family that is rooted in coffee. Proyecto Diaz Coffee may have been founded in 2014, but its legacy really began over a 100 years ago. 

 saw the dedication and love that his grandfather had for his coffee farm and wanted to help him be successful. He wanted others to experience a great cup of coffee.

The story of Proyecto Diaz Coffee

The Proyecto Diaz Coffee story is one of passion and purpose. It is one that I enjoyed learning about. 

 We’re a family rooted in coffee. Our legacy begins in the early 1900’s when the Diaz family began growing coffee in the lush mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. As the years went on, the estate was divided up and passed to the great-grandfather’s children. One of those children is our grandfather, Juan Leovigildo Diaz. Grandfather cultivated coffee on his farm, EL CARMEN, for over 70 years and passed on his love and dedication to his sons and grandchildren.  EL CARMEN, our family farm, is where our legacy continues.  

 Initially, we saw the dedication and blind love that Grandfather had for his farm and the coffee it produced, no matter how much effort and loss it took to produce the crop.  We learned quickly that due to various environmental, economic, and cultural issues that confront the modern farmer, coffee agriculture isn’t a sustainable livelihood for a small producer such as our grandfather. Unfortunately, this is a story shared by many around the world. 

And so, in 2014, we set out to make coffee farming a viable livelihood for our grandfather and others like him. We started by putting 10% of our profit back into the farm in the hopes of rebuilding both grandfather’s farm and the Diaz legacy, creating a direct bridge between coffee producer and coffee drinker. 

 We now source and roast from various farms and farmers across Latin America who share a very similar story to ours. Our mission remains the same: to rebuild and revitalize farms and legacies. We continue to use 10% of profit for rebuilding projects on our farm, as well as at partner farms/communities.

 Proyecto Diaz is a coffee roasting company rooted in the Bay Area. They have 2 coffee shops in Oakland, California.  Proyecto Diaz coffee is available in many cafes, restaurants, and markets in the Bay Area of California. Their delicious coffee is also available online.

My experience with Proyecto Diaz coffee

My experience with Proyecto Diaz Coffee started in San Diego at the Fancy Fair Food Expo. Their brightly colored coffee packages caught my attention and made me stop to learn more. My learning journey started with a taste of their coffee and ended with a couple of packages of Proyecto Diaz coffee sent to my home.

 This was no ordinary coffee; it was coffee with a love story. I loved learning about how every aspect of the cup of coffee that I was drinking was family-rooted. From the growing of the coffee beans to the roasting to the selling of the coffee, everything was done by one family. 

The grandfather, Juan Leovigildo Diaz, cultivates the coffee on his farm in Mexico. He then sends the coffee beans to his grandson, Fernando Diaz Mendoza, who lives in the Bay Area of California. Fernando roasts the coffee beans at his coffee roasting company. Then the coffee is sold in family-owned cafes in West Oakland. 

Proyecto = Project

I love that Proyecto Diaz roasts coffee beans from various farms and farmers across Latin America who share a very similar story. 

I was sent two different packages of whole bean single-origin coffee:

  ~ FINCA WILMA - From La Paz, Bolivia. A medium roast with notes of cranberry, brandy, and almond butter.

  ~ MAYAN HARVEST - From Chiapas, Mexico. A dark roast with notes of black cherry, burnt caramel, and cacao.

 I had a hard time deciding which whole bean coffee to grind and roast first. They both had exciting coffee notes. My first cup of coffee was the MAYAN HARVEST, and it was good. I could taste the flavorful notes of black cherry encased in the burnt caramel cacao. It reminded me of a chocolate-covered cherry.

Each sip of the coffee had me saying mmm, this is good coffee. You will love the taste of this rich coffee.

 My next cup of coffee was the FINCA WILMA. My first sip had me tasting notes of cranberry, followed by almond butter. Since I have never tasted brandy, this one was hard for me to detect in the coffee notes. 

One thing that made these coffees special to me was how quickly I was able to taste the coffee notes. If you have a hard time tasting the flavor notes of coffee, you need to try Proyecto Diaz coffee. It will have you enjoying every sip.

Learn more about Proyecto Diaz Coffee and shop for your perfect cup of coffee.