How is Costa Rican Coffee? What are its Characteristics and Who is it Suitable For?

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Costa Rican Coffee

Coffee beans produced in the high-altitude regions of Costa Rica are renowned worldwide for their richness, mild flavor, and distinctive acidity. The coffee beans here undergo meticulous processing, which is why they achieve such high quality. Costa Rica is located south of its capital San José, and it is one of the country's most valued coffee-growing regions. Tarrazú is one of the world's major coffee-producing areas.

In 1729, coffee was introduced to Costa Rica from Cuba. Today, its coffee industry is one of the best-organized in the world, with yields reaching up to 1,700 kilograms per hectare. With a population of only 3.5 million, Costa Rica has more than 400 million coffee trees, and coffee exports account for 25% of the country's total export value. Costa Rica's volcanic soil is extremely fertile and well-drained, particularly in the Central Plateau, where the soil consists of several consecutive thick layers of volcanic ash and dust. Costa Rica thus became the first country in Central America to cultivate coffee and bananas for commercial purposes. Coffee and bananas are the country's main export commodities.

All coffee grown in Costa Rica is of the Arabica variety. Through continuous improvement, the quality of coffee beans has become better and more stable. To facilitate harvesting, coffee trees are constantly pruned to maintain a height of around 2 meters. The coffee we consume comes from the seeds within the coffee fruit, which release their flavor when steeped in water.

After harvesting the raw coffee beans, they must undergo depulping, removal of fruit flesh and parchment, and sun drying before the seeds (i.e., coffee beans) can be roasted. Some of these processes can be replaced by machines, significantly increasing coffee production speed. However, coffee harvesting cannot be replaced by any machine - it must be done by hand. Costa Rican coffee beans are full-bodied, with ideal acidity and a unique, intense aroma.

All Costa Rican coffee is made from Arabica beans and processed using the washed method. Its style is bright, full of aroma, and clear as wind chimes swaying in the breeze, with mild acidity and excellent sweetness. Because of its sweetness, Costa Rican coffee remains delicious even when cooled - this is one of its major characteristics. Therefore, when tasting Costa Rican coffee, it is recommended to add only small amounts of sugar and cream, so you can fully enjoy its maiden-like pure flavor.

Although the development of specialty coffee started relatively late, Costa Rica's specialty coffee industry is now growing rapidly. With the mild fruit acidity, smooth texture, and sweet, high-quality berry flavors of honey-processed coffee, it has become a force to be reckoned with. The so-called Honey Process refers to when, during the washed method, after removing the peel and pulp, a portion of the mucilage is intentionally left to undergo an additional fermentation process. This processing method is called honey processing. Coffee processed this way has a balanced sweet and sour profile, making it suitable for friends who do not accept acidity or bitterness.

Knowledge Point: The country's most famous growing region is Tarrazú, near the capital San José.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a research-focused coffee establishment dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation because we want more friends to fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three coffee promotion events with significant discounts. This is because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price - this has been our mission for the past six years!

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