In short
This organic Peruvian coffee, sold under the Tunki name, comes from the Sandia valley in Puno, in the far southeast of Peru where the Andes drop into the Amazon, one of the most remote coffee-growing areas in the world. It’s grown organically by smallholder cooperative members, and the Tunki name has won international awards since 2010.
What is Tunki coffee?
Tunki is the coffee brand of the smallholder cooperatives of the Sandia valley in Puno, in Peru’s far southeast. It takes its name from the tunki, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, Peru’s national bird, which lives in the same cloud forest the coffee grows in.
The region is remarkable in farming terms: steep, remote valleys on the eastern Andean flank between roughly 1,400 and 1,900 meters, bordering protected rainforest, with farms reachable only by long mountain roads. Tunki came to international attention in 2010, when it was the top-scoring Peruvian coffee in the SCAA Coffee of the Year competition and a winner of the Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality, and it remains one of the best-known names in Peruvian specialty coffee.
What makes this coffee different
A named origin with a real story
Not “product of Peru,” but a specific valley, a specific cooperative structure and a specific national reputation.
Certified organic
Grown without synthetic inputs. Peru is among the world’s largest organic coffee producers.
Cooperative smallholder production
Farms of a few hectares, organized into cooperatives that handle processing and export. That model is why a coffee from one of the most remote valleys in South America reaches a supermarket shelf at all.
Taste profile
The Tunki profile as described by the producers: 100% arabica, medium roast, with notes of panela, orange, chocolate and nuts. Sweet, moderately bright and clean. It’s a coffee that rewards being brewed as filter rather than buried in milk.
Note: these descriptors come from the brand’s own published profile rather than from the retailer’s product listing.
How to brew it
Standard serving
10 g per 240 ml cup, or 15 g per 250 ml for pour-over. 215 g gives around 21 cups.
Brewing methods
| Method | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pour-over | 15 g / 250 ml | Best way to taste it |
| Drip / filter | 10 g per cup | The intended use |
| French press | 15 g / 250 ml | 4 minutes |
| AeroPress | 15 g | Bright and clean |
| Cold brew | 60 g / L | Brings out the orange notes |
| With milk | 12 g | Works, but you lose the acidity |
Where it comes from
Sandia valley, Puno, Peru: the eastern Andean slope of the far southeast, about 1,400–1,900 m, on the edge of protected cloud forest and Amazon rainforest. Grown by smallholder cooperative members on farms of a few hectares each.
Who it’s for
A good fit if you brew filter or pour-over, want a certified organic single origin, or want a Peruvian coffee with a strong international reputation.
Look elsewhere if you drink coffee only with milk: the acidity and sweetness that make this distinctive get flattened. It’s also not a dark-roast espresso base.
Nutrition
Reference values for ground coffee, per 10 g serving of dry coffee. The label on the pack may differ slightly. A brewed black cup extracts almost none of this.
| Energy | About 43 kcal |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | About 7 g |
| of which sugars | Less than 0.1 g |
| Protein | About 1.5 g |
| Fat | About 1 g |
Specifications
| Species | Coffea arabica |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sandia valley, Puno, Peru |
| Altitude | About 1,400–1,900 m |
| Certification | Organic |
| Roast | Medium (brand profile) |
| Format | Roasted and ground |
| Profile | Americano |
| Net weight | 215 g / 7.6 oz |
Tunki and other Peruvian coffee origins compared
| Tunki (Puno) | Cajamarca | Villa Rica | Chanchamayo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altitude | 1,400–1,900 m | 1,600–2,000 m | 1,400–1,800 m | 1,200–1,800 m |
| Acidity | Moderate | High | Low to moderate | Moderate |
| Notes | Panela, orange, chocolate | Citrus, floral | Caramel, full body | Nut, cocoa |
| Organic prevalence | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| International profile | Very high | High | High | Historic |
Storage
Keep it airtight, cool, dry and dark. Use within three to four weeks of opening. Never refrigerate.
Questions
What is Tunki coffee?
An organic arabica from smallholder cooperatives in the Sandia valley of Puno, southern Peru. In 2010 it was the top-scoring Peruvian coffee in the SCAA Coffee of the Year competition and a winner of the Rainforest Alliance Cupping for Quality, and it remains one of the best-known Peruvian specialty coffee names.
Where does Tunki coffee come from?
The Sandia valley in Puno, on the eastern Andean slope of Peru’s far southeast, bordering protected rainforest at roughly 1,400–1,900 meters.
What does Tunki coffee taste like?
The brand’s published profile describes panela, orange, chocolate and nuts: sweet, moderately bright and clean, in a medium roast.
Is Peruvian coffee organic?
A large share of it is. Peru is among the world’s biggest producers of certified organic coffee, largely because production is dominated by smallholders using few synthetic inputs.
What does the name Tunki mean?
It’s the Quechua name for the Andean cock-of-the-rock, Peru’s national bird, which lives in the same cloud forest where the coffee grows.
How should I brew a single-origin coffee like this?
Filter or pour-over, black, at 15 g per 250 ml. Milk and sugar flatten exactly the characteristics you paid for.
Is high-altitude coffee better?
Higher altitude generally means slower cherry ripening, denser beans and more acidity and complexity. It’s one factor among several: variety, processing and roast all matter too.