Seven Major Coffee Growing Regions of Costa Rica_Coffee Processing and Grading System in Costa Rica's Tarrazu Region

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The earliest coffee cultivation in Costa Rica began on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes, in what is now known as the Central Valley region. After years of development, there are now seven main coffee growing areas.

Seven Main Coffee Growing Regions in Costa Rica

1. Tarrazu: altitude 1300-2000m

2. Tres Rios: altitude 1400-1800m

3. West Valley: altitude 1200-1650m

4. Central Valley: altitude 1200-1600m

5. Orosi: altitude 900-1200m

6. Brunca: altitude 800-1200m

7. Turrialba: altitude 600-900m

Coffee Bean Grading System

Costa Rican coffee beans are graded quite simply by altitude, with seven grades in total:

1. Strictly Hard Bean (SHB): 4500 feet and above

2. Hard Bean (HB): 4000-4500 feet

3. Semi-Hard Bean (SH): 3500-4000 feet

4. Extra Prime Washed (EPW): 3000-3500 feet

5. Prime Washed (PW): 2500-3000 feet

6. Extra Good Washed (EGW): 2000-2500 feet

7. Good Washed (GW): below 2000 feet

The Rise of Honey Processed Coffee

In recent years, micro-mills have been established one after another. Since they require only 5% of the water consumption of traditional washed processing plants and don't need large water tanks and drying patios, the required investment is relatively much smaller. "Honey processed coffee" with low acidity, increased complexity, and rich sweet aroma has become a sought-after target in the coffee industry in recent years. Among them, the outstanding ones have shined in major competitions in recent years, greatly enhancing the international reputation of various estates.

Characteristics of Honey Processed Coffee

The characteristics of honey processed coffee depend to a high degree on the settings of the pulp remover - the more pulp retained, the more obvious the honey processing characteristics. It might be due to the microclimate conditions of the processing location (sunlight amount/rainfall probability/air humidity), or the skill of the processor, or perhaps purely the processor's preference... Even coffees with the same name "Honey Coffee" actually have varying degrees of honey processing characteristics.

White Honey Processing

White honey processing is a lower-fermentation honey processing method. Compared to other colors (yellow, red, black), it involves more frequent turning during processing and retains less pulp. After drying on racks, the pulped raw beans will form clumps with some parchment (silverskin) mixed in to reduce the stickiness and moisture of the berries, allowing the huller to smoothly remove the residual outer pulp layer and fruit husk.

Brand Recommendation for Costa Rican Tarrazu Coffee Beans

The Costa Rican Tarrazu coffee beans roasted by FrontStreet Coffee - Sumava Estate Black Honey processed coffee beans - are fully guaranteed in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high cost-performance. A half-pound (227g) package costs only 95 yuan. Calculating at 15g of coffee per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. This is extremely cost-effective compared to café prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. Online shop services are also available at https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473