Cuban coffee

For the Geo Quiz, we’re on the island of Cuba, looking for its largest mountain range. Its highest peak reaches 6,500 ft above sea level. This mountain range is a landmark in Cuba’s history of rebellions. From the Tainos who fought the Spanish colonizers in the area to Fidel Castro and his rebels who retreated there to prepare their revolution.

This mountain range is also known for its coffee plantations. But these days there isn’t enough coffee in Cuba — once a major coffee exporter — to even meet the demands of the local population. So the government decided that it would have to stretch its local coffee blend by mixing it with roasted chickpeas.

Now, back to the mountains: the range is located at the southeast end of the island, where the main city is Santiago de Cuba.

Where are we?

The answer is the Sierra Maestra. Those mountains are prime coffee-growing territory and Cubans love their coffee but these days, Cuba can’t produce enough coffee beans to meet local demand. So the government has announced a return to an austerity measure it’s used in the past. That is mixing roasted peas with coffee beans to stretch the blend. Lisa Mullins gets more from the BBC Michael Voss in Havana.