Introduction to Costa Rica's Orosi Coffee Region: Growing Conditions and Flavor Characteristics

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History

Costa Rica's volcanic soil is extremely fertile and well-drained, making it the first country in Central America to grow coffee and bananas for commercial purposes. Coffee and bananas are the country's main export commodities.

In 1729, coffee was introduced to Costa Rica from Cuba. Today, its coffee industry is one of the most well-organized in the world, with yields reaching up to 1,700 kg per hectare. Costa Rica has a population of only 3.5 million people, but there are as many as 400 million coffee trees. Coffee exports account for 25% of the country's total export value. Costa Rica also benefits from the Central American Agricultural Research Institute (IAAC) located in Turrialba, which serves as an important international research center.

High-quality Costa Rican coffee is known as "Strictly Hard Bean" (SHB), which can grow at altitudes above 1,500 meters. Altitude has always been a challenge for coffee growers. The higher the altitude, the better the coffee beans. This is not only because higher altitudes increase the acidity of coffee beans, thereby enhancing flavor, but also because the lower nighttime temperatures at higher elevations slow tree growth, resulting in more concentrated coffee bean flavors. Additionally, the elevation differences at high altitudes create sufficient rainfall, which is very beneficial for coffee tree growth.

However, while growing coffee at higher altitudes has many advantages, the additional transportation costs must be considered, which can make coffee production unprofitable. Costa Rica's coffee industry has adopted new technologies to increase efficiency, including using "electric eyes" to select beans and identify irregular-sized coffee beans.

The Costa Rican government established a dedicated coffee department (now known as ICAFE: Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, which has been taken over by the official coffee office Oficina del Café), primarily to guide estates in improving cultivation, post-processing, and sales systems. The handling of export coffee is also very meticulous in this region. Among exported coffee, beans deemed unqualified are colored with blue plant dye and then returned for domestic sale. Today, about one-third of Costa Rica's population works in coffee or coffee-related industries, and local per capita coffee consumption is twice that of Italy or the United States. These policies demonstrate the government's support for the coffee industry, indirectly contributing to Costa Rica's excellent coffee quality and higher competitiveness compared to other countries.

Regional Coffee Characteristics

The hardness of volcanic rock shapes Tarrazu coffee, while the concept of healthy cultivation creates Organico coffee!

Orosi

Smooth acidity, plump beans, aromatic fragrance / Smooth taste, well-balanced

Altitude: 900-1,200 meters

Harvest season: September to February

Smooth acidity

Plump beans

Aromatic fragrance

Coffee from this region has a smooth taste and good balance.

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473