FrontStreet Coffee Barista's Journal: Costa Rica's Earliest Coffee Growing Region - Central Valley

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【FrontStreet Coffee Barista's Notes】Costa Rica's Earliest Coffee Growing Region - The Central Valley

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Recently, the editor has been deeply fascinated by Costa Rican beans. From the previous Costa Rican Pirón with its intense red wine notes, to the Costa Rican Black Soul with fruit tea flavor notes, to the recently arrived Costa Rican Giant Stone Black Honey from FrontStreet Coffee with its captivating non-alcoholic fruit wine aroma—these three beans are truly the editor's favorites. This has inspired the editor to particularly want to understand their growing region. Today, the editor will share with everyone Costa Rica's earliest coffee growing region—the Central Valley.

Introduction

The Central Valley region is also the earliest area in Costa Rica where coffee was cultivated, before the country's coffee industry developed to other regions. With moderate rainfall of 118 inches annually and an average temperature of only 19°C, combined with high altitude, the beans are hard, aromatic, smooth, and highly acidic, with full bodies and rich flavors. As Costa Rica's earliest coffee growing region, it has rich volcanic soil, sometimes with chocolate notes. The beans are washed in the early stages and machine-dried at low temperatures in the later stages.

Costa Rica

The first country in Central America to grow coffee; government support promoted its development.

Costa Rica was the first country in Central America where coffee was introduced and cultivated, with a long history and a complete system from production to sales. Located in the Central American isthmus, the volcanic soil is very fertile and well-drained, especially in the Central Plateau. The coffee growing areas here have volcanic terrain with fertile volcanic ash, mild and suitable temperatures, and stable, abundant rainfall—making coffee one of the main agricultural products. All coffee beans are of the Arabica variety. With pure flavors and pleasant aromas, they possess impeccable balance in both acidity and mouthfeel. The coffee beans are full-bodied, with ideal acidity and unique, intense aromas.

In 1729, coffee began to appear in Costa Rica, introduced from Cuba at that time. This made Costa Rica the first country in Central America to grow coffee and the first to cultivate it for commercial value. Subsequently, after Costa Rica gained independence from Spain in 1821, the local government began to strongly support the coffee industry with a series of policies. At that time, it was more than a hundred years since coffee was introduced to Costa Rica, but about 70,000 coffee trees had already been planted, showing its rapid development.

Policy

In 1825, the Costa Rican government implemented tax exemption policies. In 1832, the local government enacted a law: "He who plants coffee owns his land," meaning that if coffee farmers planted coffee on any vacant, unoccupied land, they could directly own that land. This policy encouraged many people to grow coffee, promoted coffee development, and led to the current situation where most of Costa Rica's coffee comes from private estates.

Geographical Location & Coffee Growing Regions

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, simultaneously influenced by the climate regulation of Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and sea breezes. Many volcanoes in the country reach altitudes of 2,000 meters, allowing coffee cherries to grow slowly in fertile volcanic ash soil and high-altitude cool environments, nurturing coffee beans with complete and rich flavors.

The earliest place where coffee was cultivated in Costa Rica was on the slopes of the Poas and Barva volcanoes, in what is today known as the Central Valley region. After years of development, there are now 8 main coffee growing regions: Western Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste. Tarrazu is one of the world's major coffee producing regions. Today, the editor wants to share about one of these 8 regions—the Central Valley.

Central Valley

With altitudes of 1,200-1,600 meters and a harvest season from November to March, this region has three sub-regions: San José, Heredia, and Alajuela. The region contains three high-altitude volcanoes: Irazu, Barva, and Poas, which provide rich nutrients to the surrounding coffee growing areas. Superior microclimates combined with the fertile soil of the Poás and Barva volcanoes give beans from this region excellent characteristics, such as chocolate and cocoa flavors, bright fruit acidity, and elegant aromas.

The Central Valley region is also the earliest area in Costa Rica where coffee was cultivated, before the country's coffee industry developed to other regions. With moderate rainfall of 118 inches annually and an average temperature of only 19°C, combined with high altitude, the beans are hard, aromatic, smooth, and highly acidic, with full bodies and rich flavors. As Costa Rica's earliest coffee growing region, it has rich volcanic soil, sometimes with chocolate notes.

Speaking of which, the editor would like to share about this Costa Rican Black Soul from the Central Valley region that I've been drinking frequently recently.

Finca Las Lajas Alma Negra

Costa Rica · Black Soul

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Central Valley

Altitude: 1300-1500M

Processing: Natural processing

Grade: SHB

Varieties: Caturra, Catuai

*The Estate

The estate for this bean is Finca Las Lajas, one of the first estates to begin systematic research and processing, and has been a coffee estate favored by global buyers for many years. Finca Las Lajas is currently managed by third-generation owner Francisca Cubillo and her husband Oscar. The estate is located in the Central Valley region, not far from the capital, and quite close to Poas Volcano, with altitudes between 1,250-1,500 meters, producing approximately 55,200 kilograms annually.

Years ago, estate owner Francisca always hoped to further enhance the flavor expression of the estate's coffee. At that time, the vast majority of coffee farmers in Costa Rica generally used traditional washed processing to meet the demands of the American and European markets. Therefore, the estate owner began to research and improve many equipment and facilities within the estate to better suit the needs of natural and honey processing.

The raw beans of this coffee clearly show the typical yellow-green color after natural processing, with a light hawthorn sour aroma.

*Cupping Notes

Cupping flavors: Fermented fruit aroma, floral notes, citrus, plum, fruit tea. Noticeable sweet and sour sensation, juicy texture, overall balance.

*Pour Over

The editor used the usual technique to brew this bean, using a V60 dripper, water temperature of 90°C, grind size of BG-5R (60% pass rate through Chinese standard #20 sieve), and a powder-to-water ratio of 1:15 with segmented extraction.

The extracted coffee has a light fermented wine aroma and almond scent. The entry brings sour notes of dark plum and citrus, with mid-notes of dark chocolate and nuts. As the temperature cools, it presents tropical fruit-like sweet and sour notes, with cream and honey-like sweetness, and a finish with fruit tea sensations.

Although they are all Costa Rican coffees, the flavors from different growing regions are distinct—this is undeniable~~ Even the region shared by the editor today—the Central Valley—within the same region, different estates with different processing methods all produce their own unique coffee flavors. Of course, you need to taste and compare them to know~~

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