I have been buying Fair Trade products for many years, although I was maybe not aware of the wide range that is now available.  I remember trying the coffee for the first time many years ago, and not really being that thrilled with it.

Chocolate with the Fair Trade logo

That said, there was a time when I regularly bought the orange juice and the quinoa.

I returned to the subject a couple of weeks ago during a seminar in Frankfurt, where there was not only a presentation about the Fair Trade principles and organisation, but a chance to try some of the chocolate that is produced, one type of which was actually very good.

One question that came up was whether there were coffee pads with the Fair Trade certification – and apparently there are.  So I set off in search of them.

For a while now my company has been buying a brand of sugar that carries the Fair Trade logo, and now – after visiting several supermarkets in the area – I can happily say that we have switched to the coffee pads as well.  Not only do I think that the coffee tastes better than when I first tried it all those years ago, but the pads are actually cheaper than the brand we were using before!

Which products do you buy?

One of my favourite restaurants in Germany has moved, so this is a good opportunity to write about it.  For the past 10 years I have been going to “Restaurant Latinoamérica” in Budenheim, just outside of Mainz.  The restaurant has recently moved to Mainz-Finthen, where I visited it last week for the first time.

This family-run business offers specialities from Bolivia, that you are unlikely to find in many other restaurants in Germany.  And it is a family from Bolivia that cooks and serves it!  (I even met them once on a flight from Santa Cruz to Sucre).

One of our favourites has to be the Pique a lo Macho – spiced strips of beef with jalapeño slices, served on a bed of chips with salad.  Be aware that one of the spices is locoto – which can be very hot.

Another good dish is the Aji de Pollo, aji being another spice which is made of ground red peppers and in this dish it is a sauce that the pollo (chicken) resides in.  Pre-booked, even Salteñas can be ordered.

As a starter, we often have strips of deep-fried yuca, covered in melted cheese and served with a red dip called llajwa.

The restaurant also serves Bolivian wines, and a special type of schnaps called Singani, made from distilled grapes.

El Latino, Mainz-Finthen

The new address is: El Latino, Borngasse 59, 55126 Mainz-Finthen. If you are going there on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening, then it is advisable to book a table in advance.

Opening Times

Wed & Thu 6pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat 6pm – 12am
Sun 12pm – 2pm & 5pm – 10pm
Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Telephone: +49 (0) 6131 / 6693550

P.S. Don’t forget to say that you read about it on AmigosDeSucre!