Characteristics and Stories of Costa Rican Coffee Regions - Introduction to the Flavor and Taste Profile of Costa Rican Red Honey Coffee Beans

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Introduction to Costa Rica Coffee

Costa Rica is a republic in Latin America, with its northern and southern borders adjacent to Nicaragua and Panama respectively (both are very famous coffee bean producing regions).

Compared to most coffee-producing regions in Africa, Costa Rica does not have particularly significant advantages in terms of altitude and climate. Although Costa Rica began growing coffee in 1729, the coffee beans at that time were used as blending beans for espresso and sold at low prices.

The Rise of High-Quality Coffee

In recent years, to increase the added value of coffee exports, the Costa Rican government has begun to vigorously develop high-quality coffee. To encourage coffee farmers, the local government also established a "coffee trust fund" to help coffee farmers in difficult situations overcome challenges and produce high-quality coffee. Consequently, the relatively complex honey processing method has become the mainstream for Costa Rican coffee beans.

Understanding Coffee Processing Methods

Coffee beans are actually the seeds of coffee fruits. The coffee beverages you love are all made from the seeds of these red or yellow fruits.

However, before coffee beans are roasted, the outer layers such as fruit skin and pulp must be removed, and then the coffee beans are dried to a moisture content of about 11%. The two commonly used coffee processing methods are washed processing and natural processing. The washed method involves soaking coffee fruits in water and using water to wash away the fruit skin and pulp. The natural method involves drying coffee fruits in the sun and then using machines to remove the fruit skin and pulp.

Honey Processing: A Hybrid Approach

The honey processing method combines these two approaches. First, the fruit skin is removed, retaining some mucilage around the coffee bean for drying. It falls between natural and washed processing and can be further subdivided into yellow honey, red honey, black honey, etc.

Floating fruits are removed, and like washed processing, the pulp is first scraped off to retain mucilage. The subsequent drying process is the most meticulous part of honey processing. Utilizing day-night temperature differences, humidity differences, and pressure differences allows the honey-like sweetness and acidity of the mucilage to penetrate the inner coffee bean. During this process, constant turning is necessary to avoid over-fermentation. Afterward, the layers outside the silver skin and parchment are removed similarly. Honey processing gives beans more abundant flavors than washed processing and significantly fewer defects than natural processed beans. However, it is very labor-intensive and requires great skill.

Types of Honey Processing

Depending on the amount of remaining mucilage, it is divided into white, yellow, red, and black honey processing methods. The lighter the color, the less mucilage is retained. White honey retains 15% of mucilage, yellow honey retains about 25%, red honey retains about 50%, while the black honey we're tasting today retains 80% of mucilage. The more mucilage retained, the higher the overall sweetness of the coffee bean; the less mucilage retained, the cleaner the mouthfeel.

Important Note

Knowledge point: "Arabica" is not synonymous with good coffee. Even among Arabica varieties, there are grade differences.

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