Costa Rican Coffee Beans | Introduction to Selected Series of Washed Coffee Beans from Tarrazú Region

Costa Rica

In Latin America, there is a country that is the first in the world to have no army, yet this country has social stability, economic prosperity, and is known as the Switzerland of Central America. This country is Costa Rica (The Republic of Costa Rica).

Costa Rica is located in the Central American isthmus, belonging to North America, bordering the Caribbean Sea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Nicaragua to the north, and connected to Panama to the southeast, with a land area of 51,100 square kilometers. The name Costa Rica comes from Spanish, meaning "rich coast." The country's flag consists of five parallel wide strips connected from top to bottom: blue, white, red, white, and blue, with the red stripe being twice as wide as the blue and white stripes, representing enthusiasm and the blood shed for independence. The blue and white colors come from the original Central American Federal flag's colors, with blue representing the sky, opportunity, idealism, and perseverance, while white represents peace, wisdom, and happiness. The red section's left side features the national emblem pattern, which is the government's flag.

Costa Rica is one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, possessing nearly 5% of the world's species, with nearly 30% of its national territory designated as national parks or nature reserves, and a national forest coverage rate of 52.38%. The country's coastal areas are plains, while the central part is separated by rugged mountains. The climate is tropical and subtropical, with the rainy season from April to December and the dry season from December to April of the following year. The central valley regions have a pleasant climate with temperatures between 15-26°C. The country has more than 200 volcanoes, and volcanic ash provides the soil with rich minerals. Combined with mild, suitable temperatures and abundant rainfall, this makes the country's agriculture well-developed, making it a major global exporter of pineapples, bananas, and coffee.

Coffee Growing Regions

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

Central Valley (Valley Central)

The Central Valley region is the earliest coffee-growing area in Costa Rica and the core of the country's coffee industry, accounting for about 15% of total production. The Central Valley has an elevation of 1200-1600m, belongs to a tropical highland climate, with an annual precipitation of 3000mm, and temperatures are more pleasant compared to lower altitude areas. The coffee harvest season is from November to March of the following year. The region contains three high-altitude volcanoes: Irazu, Barva, and Poas. These three volcanoes provide mineral-rich fertile volcanic ash soil for nearby coffee cultivation, possessing excellent geographical and climatic conditions for coffee growing.

Western Valley (Valley Central Occidental)

The Western Valley is located on the slopes of medium gradient in the central mountain range, with cultivation elevations of 1000m-1200m, accounting for 25% of the national production. There are two volcanoes on each of the east and west sides, providing fertile volcanic soil. Because it is close to the coastline and affected by Pacific air currents, the temperature is pleasant with an average annual humidity of up to 81%, and rainfall is abundant. However, the rainy and dry seasons are distinctly separated, with sufficient sunshine during the dry season, allowing this region to use natural drying methods (other regions mainly rely on machine drying). The coffee harvest season is from November to March of the following year.

Tres Rios

Tres Rios is the smallest coffee-growing region in Costa Rica, with elevations between 1000-1600 meters. Like the Central Valley, it has fertile soil conditions provided by the Irazu Volcano. The Tres Rios region produces many world-famous coffees and is called the "Bordeaux" of coffee-growing regions by coffee enthusiasts. The harvest season is from December to March of the following year.

Orosi

Orosi has cultivation elevations of 900-1200m and is located in a narrow valley east of San Jose, with a hundred-year history of coffee cultivation. The coffee harvest season is from September to December.

Brunca

Brunca has cultivation elevations of 800-1200m, and the coffee flavors are relatively ordinary compared to famous regions, but it is still an important region in Costa Rica. The harvest season is from August to January of the following year, and coffee production accounts for 20% of the national total production.

Turrialba

The Turrialba region has elevations of 600-900m. Here, the separation between the two seasons (dry and wet) is not very obvious, and coffee trees may have multiple flowering periods, which greatly affects coffee harvesting. Such geographical and climatic conditions are not ideal for commercial cultivation, so high-quality coffee from this region is rare.

Tarrazu

The Tarrazu region is located south of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. It is the most famous region in Costa Rica and one of the world's major coffee-growing areas, accounting for 35% of the country's coffee production. The Tarrazu region has elevations of 1200-1900m, making it the highest elevation region in Costa Rica. The climate here is humid with abundant rainfall, and nearby volcanoes also provide fertile volcanic ash soil, making it an exceptionally suitable place for coffee cultivation. The coffee harvest season is from November to March of the following year. Currently, FrontStreet Coffee offers several Costa Rican coffee beans, including Mozart, Baha, Strawberry Candy, and Costa Rica Entry Selection, all of which come from the Tarrazu region.

Caturra and Catuai Varieties

Caturra

Caturra is a variety of Bourbon, discovered in a plantation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, between 1915 and 1918. The name Caturra comes from the Guarani language, meaning "small." In coffee plants, the leaves are green, berries are clustered tightly, leaf node spacing is short, and fruits are mainly red. The coffee beans are average in size, oval-shaped, but slightly larger than Catuai. The overall tree shape is relatively short, allowing for dense planting and higher yields. However, its production cycle is shorter than other varieties, suitable for high-altitude cultivation, but susceptible to leaf rust, nematodes, and berry diseases.

Catuai

The Catuai variety was developed by the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC) in São Paulo, Brazil, as a hybrid between Mundo Novo and Caturra. In Catuai coffee plants, similar to Caturra, the branches are smaller, leaves are green with slight curling, fruits are tightly clustered, mainly red. The coffee beans are average in size, oval-shaped, but smaller than Caturra. The overall tree shape is relatively short, allowing for dense planting. Yields are good, suitable for high-altitude cultivation, but susceptible to leaf rust, nematodes, and berry diseases.

FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Entry Selection - Tarrazu Coffee Beans

Region: Tarrazu
Elevation: 1500 meters
Varieties: Caturra, Catuai
Processing Method: Washed
Flavor: Sweet orange, nuts, honey, toffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Tarrazu coffee beans use washed processing and medium roast. FrontStreet Coffee uses V60 with a 1:15 ratio and 92°C water temperature for brewing. The entrance has a slight fruit acidity, with sweet orange, nut, and honey flavors, as well as a toffee-like sweetness, with a soft and smooth mouthfeel.

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