Should Black Coffee Be More Sour or Bitter? Costa Rican Coffee's Balanced Sweet and Sour Taste Experience

FrontStreet Coffee - Costa Rica Coffee Introduction

In 1729, coffee trees were transplanted from Cuba to Costa Rica, marking the beginning of Arabica coffee cultivation in the country. In 1820, the first batch of coffee was exported to Colombia and Chile. In 1854, the British merchant ship "Monarch" transported 100 pounds of coffee to London, establishing Costa Rica's reputation for "golden beans." In 2013, Starbucks acquired the Alasacia farm in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica, giving Starbucks its own coffee farm.

Although Costa Rica's coffee production is not extensive, the country boasts a comprehensive variety of coffee beans, such as Catuai, Mundo Novo, and Typica. However, what truly distinguishes Costa Rican coffee are the Villa Sarchi and Costa Rica 95 varieties.

Villa Sarchi

First discovered in Costa Rica during the 1960s, Villa Sarchi became a unique variety specific to the country. It is characterized by its transparent and clear flavor profile, featuring sweet and gentle acidity with an exceptionally smooth mouthfeel. Proper control of bitterness can make the taste even milder.

The Globally Unique Honey Processing Method

Due to the extremely sticky and high-sugar content of the mucilage layer on coffee beans, people typically refer to it as "honey." During honey processing, coffee retains some or all of this "honey" during drying. After coffee cherries are harvested, sorted, and pulped, they are placed on drying beds to dry.

From left to right: Natural wash method, honey processing, washed method, and natural drying method.

Because the mucilage dries for a short period, coffee beans undergo minimal fermentation during the drying process. Coffee processed using this method has slightly higher acidity than natural wash methods but significantly lower than both washed and natural sun-dried methods.

Honey Processing Classifications:

Black Honey: Almost no mucilage is removed, requiring the longest drying time of over two weeks. During the process, coverings are used to block intense sunlight to avoid overly rapid drying and ensure more complete sugar conversion.

Red Honey: 25% of mucilage is removed (specific methods vary between estates), with sun drying for approximately 12 days. Shade structures may also be used during the process.

Yellow Honey: 40% of mucilage is removed, with maximum sun exposure during drying for approximately 8 days until moisture content stabilizes.

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that delights in sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. Our comprehensive sharing aims to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee events each month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

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