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Costa Rican Coffee Cultivation: Introduction to Mirasoul Estate's Strawberry Sugar from Tarrazú Region

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, As we all know, the area between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is known as the coffee cultivation belt. The Americas are perfectly situated within this coffee growing zone. In North America, there are many famous coffee-producing countries, such as Panama, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Among these, Costa Rica was one of the first countries in Central America where coffee was introduced and cultivated.

As is well known, the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is called the coffee cultivation belt. The Americas have regions located precisely within this coffee cultivation belt, with North America having many renowned coffee-producing countries such as Panama, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Among these, Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to introduce coffee cultivation.

Coffee Cultivation in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, bordering Nicaragua and Panama, with the Caribbean Sea to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The coastal areas of Costa Rica consist of plains, while the central region is separated by rugged mountains. The climate is tropical and subtropical, with rainy season (April to early December) and dry season (late December to April), with average annual temperatures ranging between 15-26°C.

The country also has volcanic regions with fertile volcanic soil, good drainage, and suitable climate, thus producing high-quality coffee beans. All cultivated coffee beans are of the Arabica variety. The Costa Rican government places great importance on coffee cultivation and quality, establishing the Costa Rican Coffee Institute ICAFE in 1948 to research coffee varieties and cultivation, as well as promote Costa Rican coffee globally. Additionally, the government enacted a decree in 1989 banning the cultivation of Robusta coffee domestically.

Tarrazú Region

Costa Rica has eight coffee regions: Western Valley (Valley Central Occidental), Central Valley (Valley Central), Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Brunca, and Turrialba. These regions are almost all distributed in the central mountain ranges.

However, when people mention Costa Rican coffee, Tarrazú is always the first region that comes to mind. This region was also the first in Costa Rica to receive origin certification. Located in central Costa Rica within the San José province, this area is influenced by warm and humid air currents from the Pacific Ocean, with annual rainfall reaching 2400 millimeters. Coffee grows at altitudes between 1500-2100 meters and has access to fertile volcanic soil, providing an excellent environment for coffee cultivation. The coffee produced here is almost exclusively hard beans, with pleasant acidity, and notes of chocolate, floral, and fruity flavors that are widely loved. Due to the region's relative fame, Costa Rica registered the "Café de Tarrazú" coffee origin name with the European Union and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2019 to protect coffee produced in this region. FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level selection series includes coffee beans from the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica.

Mirazu Estate

Mirazu Estate is a relatively small coffee estate in the Tarrazú region, managed by Esteban Sanches and his family. Esteban was originally a member of the neighboring Pequeña Vela estate family. Due to his passion and dedication to coffee, he established his own estate named "Mirazu," meaning "overlooking Tarrazú."

Estate owner Esteban graduated from the Costa Rican Agricultural University with a specialty in coffee, bringing formal education to his work at the estate. In addition to experimenting with growing Ethiopian native variety ET47, he personally handled the design and assembly of the small wet processing machines at the estate processing plant. Because Esteban dedicates his energy to researching machines and coffee, nearby farmers call him "Dr. Machine" and "coffee expert."

Raisin Honey Processing

Raisin honey processing preserves 100% of the mucilage and uses zero water treatment, increasing the difficulty of the honey processing method and requiring strict timing control. First, harvested coffee cherries are placed in water tanks for flotation selection. After screening, they are dried to remove the skin and pulp, then sun-dried. To ensure even drying, constant turning is required, with careful control of turning frequency to manage the coffee's fermentation process. This processing method results in coffee with abundant sweetness, white wine-like mouthfeel, balanced acidity, and rich fermentation aromas.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Mirazu Estate Strawberry Candy Coffee Beans Region: Tarrazú Region Estate/Processing Plant: Mirazu Estate Altitude: 1700 meters Varieties: Geisha ET47 MAICO SL28 Processing Method: Raisin Honey Processing Flavor Notes: Raisin, Strawberry, Candy, Rose, Cream

This Costa Rican Mirazu Estate strawberry candy coffee bean from FrontStreet Coffee uses raisin honey processing and is medium roasted. FrontStreet Coffee uses V60 with a 1:15 ratio for brewing. You'll smell fresh rose aromas, and experience flavors of strawberry, raisin, and almond upon tasting, with abundant sweetness and silky mouthfeel.