Costa Rican coffee is known for its plump beans, bright acidity, and intense aroma. The volcanic soils of Tarrazu and the Central Plateau produce high-quality coffee hailed as "Strictly Hard Bean." This article reviews its two-hundred-year cultivation history, scientific breeding system, SHB grading standards, and key characteristics of major producing regions, along with the key steps and precautions for pour-over extraction. If you want to try a Costa Rican bean that combines clear flavor with a lasting finish, Front Street Coffee's daily drink beans and advanced lots are worth noting. Whether you are a pour-over beginner or a roaster looking for a comprehensive coffee base, you can find practical references here.

Costa Rica Coffee

Costa Rica Coffee comes from the Republic of Costa Rica in southern Central America. Its flavor profile is close to Colombian coffee, and it is often used as a blending base for comprehensive coffee.

Introduction

Coffee beans produced in Costa Rica's high-altitude regions enjoy an international reputation, with a full body, mild taste, and quite prominent acidity. Local processing of green beans is extremely meticulous, which is also an important reason for its long-term stable quality. Tarrazu is located south of the capital San José and is one of the country's most closely watched coffee-growing regions, as well as a major coffee-producing area in the world.

Development History

Coffee occupies a key position in Costa Rica's economy. Since its introduction in 1808, it has a two-hundred-year cultivation history. About one-third of the country's population works in coffee-related industries. Locals say coffee changed this country and allowed people to enjoy a relatively affluent life. Costa Rica ranks third from the bottom among Central American countries in land area, but its economic level is better than half of its neighbors; the people are affluent and society is stable, which also gives the country the capacity to pay attention to environmental protection, with more than thirty national parks within its territory.

In 1729, coffee was introduced to Costa Rica from Cuba. Since then, its coffee industry has become one of the most highly organized industries in the world, with unit yields reaching 1,700 kilograms per hectare. The country has a population of only 3.5 million, yet there are as many as 400 million coffee trees, and coffee exports account for 25% of the country's total exports. Costa Rica's volcanic soil is fertile and well-drained, especially in the Central Plateau, where the soil layer is composed of multiple layers of volcanic ash and volcanic dust. The country therefore also became the first in Central America to grow coffee and bananas for commercial value, with coffee and bananas both being major export commodities.

Scientific Research and Cultivation

The research center, located about 30 kilometers northeast of the capital San José, is affiliated with the Costa Rican Coffee Institute. It is the core institution for the country's coffee cultivation, breeding, and quality inspection, and has 10 hectares of experimental fields where many excellent varieties are grown. Coffee is Costa Rica's main agricultural product, with an annual output of more than 2 million bags (60 kg each) and export earnings of US$250 million, second only to pineapples and bananas.

Costa Rica grows only Arabica coffee trees. After variety improvement, the coffee beans are better and more stable in quality. To facilitate picking, the coffee trees are kept at a height of about 2 meters through continuous pruning. The coffee people drink is the flavor released when the seeds inside the fruit are brewed with water. After the green coffee beans are picked, they must go through removal of the skin, pulp, and parchment, as well as sun drying, before the seeds (that is, coffee beans) can be roasted. Today some processes can be replaced by machines, greatly increasing production speed, but picking coffee fruit still cannot be mechanized and must be done by hand.

Characteristics

Costa Rican coffee has plump beans, ideal acidity, and a unique, intense aroma.

The country's coffee industry was originally managed by the Costa Rican Coffee Industry Corporation (ICAFE), and is now taken over by the Official Coffee Committee (Oficina del Café). Products among exported coffee that are considered substandard are colored with blue vegetable dye and then sold domestically. Coffee consumed domestically (dyed blue or undyed) accounts for about 10% of total production, and local per capita coffee consumption is twice that of Italy or the United States.

This coffee origin's various grades and types of coffee account for one-third of global consumption and hold a place in the global coffee trading market. Although Costa Rica faces several times more natural disasters than other regions, its cultivable area is enough to compensate.

There are many kinds of coffee here, but industrial policy favors large quantity and low price, so there is not much premium-grade coffee, yet it is a good choice for blending with other coffees.

Among them, the better known is Mountain Costa Rica Coffee, which has a mellow, neutral taste. It can be brewed directly and is also suitable for blending with other types of coffee beans into comprehensive coffee.

Other types of Brazilian coffee, such as Rio and Parana, can be produced in large quantities because they require little care. Their taste is relatively rough, but they are still a good-value choice. Because they are distributed throughout the country, quality varies, so there are separate standards (NO.2 to NO.8 according to the amount of impurities, NO.13 to NO.19 according to bean size, and six grades according to flavor). Almost all Arabica types are of good quality and stable in price. The most famous is "Costa Rica," which has been a necessity in blended coffee since ancient times and is familiar to the public.

Excellent Costa Rican coffee is called "Strictly Hard Bean" and can grow above 1,500 meters in altitude. Altitude has always been an issue for coffee growers. The higher the altitude, the better the coffee beans, not only because higher altitude can increase the acidity of the coffee beans and thus enhance flavor, but also because nighttime temperatures at high altitude are low, causing trees to grow slowly, which makes the coffee beans' flavor more intense. In addition, the elevation gradient at high altitude brings sufficient rainfall, which is very favorable for coffee tree growth. However, the negative effect is added transportation costs, which may well make coffee production unprofitable. Costa Rica's coffee industry has adopted new technologies to improve efficiency, including using "electric eyes" to sort beans and identify irregularly sized coffee beans.

Producing Regions

Tarrazu

Tarrazu in Costa Rica is one of the world's major coffee-producing regions. The coffee it produces has a light, pure flavor and a pleasant aroma. Costa Rica's volcanic soil is very fertile and well-drained, and it was the first country in Central America to grow coffee and bananas for commercial value. Coffee and bananas are the country's main export commodities. In 1729, coffee was introduced to Costa Rica from Cuba. Today, its coffee industry is one of the world's well-organized industries, with output as high as 1,700 kilograms per hectare. Costa Rica has a population of only 3.5 million, yet there are as many as 400 million coffee trees, and coffee exports account for 25% of the country's total exports. Costa Rica also benefits from the Central American Agricultural Research Institute (IAAC) established in Tarrazu, an important international research center.

Strictly Hard Bean

High-quality Costa Rican coffee is called "Strictly Hard Bean" and can grow above 1,500 meters in altitude. Altitude has always been an issue for coffee growers. The higher the altitude, the better the coffee beans, not only because higher altitude can increase the acidity of the coffee beans and thus enhance flavor, but also because nighttime temperatures at higher altitude are low, which can slow tree growth and thereby make the coffee beans' flavor more intense. In addition, the elevation gradient at high altitude creates sufficient rainfall, which is also very favorable for coffee tree growth. However, although growing coffee at higher altitudes has many advantages, the added transportation costs must be taken into account, which may well make coffee production unprofitable. Costa Rica's coffee industry has adopted new technologies to increase efficiency, including using "electric eyes" to sort beans and identify irregularly sized coffee beans.

In Costa Rica, people unload coffee cherries from oxcarts. Tarrazu is located south of the capital San José and is one of the country's valued coffee-growing areas. "La Minita Tarrazu" coffee is a local specialty, but production is limited, about 72,600 kilograms per year. It is grown on a piece of land called "La Minita," owned by nearly three generations of the British McAlpine family. In fact, this land can produce more than 450 tons of coffee each year. However, La Minita Tarrazu coffee is grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides, and its harvesting and selection are done entirely by hand. The reason for this is to avoid the damage to coffee beans caused to some extent by air-jet selection methods.

Other Varieties

Other coffees worth mentioning include: Juan Vinas (PR), H. Tournon, Windmill (SHB), Montebello, and Santa Rosa. Premium coffee generally grows in Geredia and the Central Valley. Another noteworthy coffee is Sarchi coffee (Sarchi is one of the five towns representing Costa Rica's "Coffee Route"), which grows on the slopes of Poas Volcano, 53 kilometers from San José. The Sarchi company was founded in 1949, and its land area is 30,770 hectares, growing sugarcane and coffee. This region is also famous for handicrafts and attracts tourists from around the world.

Quality

S.H.B. refers to strictly hard beans at altitudes above 1,500 meters, meaning high-quality Costa Rican coffee. Altitude has always been an issue for coffee growers. The higher the altitude, the better the coffee beans, not only because higher altitude can increase the acidity of the coffee beans and thus enhance flavor, but also because nighttime temperatures at higher altitude are low, which can slow tree growth and thereby make the coffee beans' flavor more intense. In addition, the elevation gradient at high altitude creates sufficient rainfall, which is also very favorable for coffee tree growth. However, although growing coffee at higher altitudes has many advantages, the added transportation costs must be taken into account, which may well make coffee production unprofitable. Costa Rica's coffee industry has adopted new technologies to increase efficiency, including using "electric eyes" to sort beans and identify irregularly sized coffee beans. This strictly hard coffee bean, suitable for medium and dark roasting, has strong acidity and an enchanting aroma. Costa Rican SHG coffee usually has plump beans, a clear flavor, bright acidity, and very ideal body. Its powerful flavor makes the finish linger in the throat for a long time, unforgettable.

Costa Rican Coffee Beans

Costa Rican coffee is produced in the Republic of Costa Rica in southern Central America. Its coffee quality is similar to Colombian coffee and is suitable for blending into comprehensive coffee. Costa Rican coffee has plump beans, ideal acidity, and a unique, intense aroma. High-quality Costa Rican coffee is called "Strictly Hard Bean," and this coffee can grow above 1,500 meters in altitude. Altitude has always been an issue for coffee growers. The higher the altitude, the better the coffee beans, not only because higher altitude can increase the acidity of the coffee beans and thus enhance flavor, but also because nighttime temperatures at higher altitude are low, which can slow tree growth and thereby make the coffee beans' flavor more intense. In addition, the elevation gradient at high altitude creates sufficient rainfall, which is also very favorable for coffee tree growth. However, although growing coffee at higher altitudes has many advantages, the added transportation costs must be taken into account, which may well make coffee production unprofitable. Costa Rica's coffee industry has adopted new technologies to increase efficiency, including using "electric eyes" to sort beans and identify irregularly sized coffee beans.

If what you are brewing is instant coffee, then it is most likely an instant product. I have not seen instant coffee produced in Costa Rica; on the market it is usually sold in the form of coffee beans and ground coffee.

Methods for Brewing Coffee If you want to make a cup of coffee yourself, you first need to choose suitable brewing coffee equipment, and using a filter coffee machine or filter coffee funnel, a steam siphon coffee pot or an espresso machine, or even the so-called traditional street-stall drip method, can all be chosen according to personal preference. The best method for coffee grounds is to grind the appropriate amount of coffee beans into powder just before drinking. This may feel troublesome, but once you get used to it, the feeling of trouble disappears; what follows is the pleasure of enjoying a cup of delicious, fragrant freshly ground coffee. Because if you buy already ground coffee powder from a store, and buy too much, the coffee will likely deteriorate day by day. Therefore, it is better to buy coffee beans. As for the method of grinding coffee beans, different grinding methods are chosen depending on the different coffee equipment used. Usually, medium to extra-fine grinding is more suitable. The amount of coffee powder depends on personal preference. Usually about 8 to 10 grams can be used, and if you want a stronger coffee taste, 15 grams can be used. To enjoy a good cup of coffee, remember not to skimp on coffee powder. The temperature of the water is very important for brewing a delicious cup of coffee. The ideal water temperature is 86°C. In this way, you can brew a cup of fragrant, delicious coffee. When brewing coffee, pay attention to the following points: 1. Boiling will make coffee bitter, so never boil coffee. The appropriate brewing temperature should preferably be slightly below 96°C. 2. Coffee cannot be reheated. When brewing, note that you should only brew the amount needed each time, and it is best to drink it as soon as it is brewed. 3. The best drinking temperature for coffee is 85°C. 4. Water accounts for 98% of a cup of coffee, so it is best to use filtered water to brew coffee, and especially do not use chlorinated water. 5. Do not reuse coffee grounds. Coffee grounds that have already been brewed leave only an unpleasant bitterness. 6. Grind coffee correctly according to the coffee equipment used. Too fine a grind will make the coffee more bitter and also more likely to clog the coffee equipment. 7. Too coarse a grind will result in coffee with no flavor. 8. For the filter method, the dripping time for properly ground coffee powder should be 2–4 minutes each time. 9. The recommended amount is: 2 rounded tablespoons of coffee powder / 6 ounces of water.

The Legendary Most Perfect Costa Rican Coffee

A Cup of Coffee to Sigh Over

Coffee Huang is a serious and interesting middle-aged man. A famous coffee expert in Asia, born into a coffee family, known as "growing up lying on coffee beans." France International Gourmet Association — Star of Excellence; professional coffee columnist for the airline magazine Epicurus; coffee instructor for the REDBIRD Program, a student training project at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Costa Rica and Guatemala are both legendary places for producing the most perfect and high-quality coffee, and Costa Rican coffee has the reputation of being the Switzerland among coffee-producing countries. Coffee produced in Costa Rica is known for strict quality standards, and inferior or substandard goods are often discarded.

Because Costa Rica is located in a volcanic region, like Sumatra in Indonesia, its soil is very fertile, and drainage in the mountainous areas is good. Tarrazu, located south of the capital San José, is one of the world's major coffee-producing regions. Although the coffee it produces has a pure taste, its aroma is compelling, and it can be called the finest among single-origin coffees. La Minita Tarrazu is a local specialty, with an annual output of only more than 70,000 kilograms. In addition, coffee grown at La Minita Tarrazu does not use pesticides or artificial fertilizers. The picking process first uses "electric eyes" to select the size specifications of the coffee fruit, and only then is it picked by hand. Besides La Minita Tarrazu, Costa Rica still has many famous producing regions, such as Juan Vinas PR and Monte Bello.

Costa Rican coffee generally grows above 1,500 meters in altitude. Its characteristic is called "Strictly Hard Bean" because the coffee bean core is solid, so the flavor content is high. Because the coffee beans grow at higher altitude, nighttime temperatures are relatively low, causing trees to grow slowly, and the high altitude creates access to more sufficient rainfall. Relatively speaking, the flavor of the coffee beans will be more intense.

Costa Rican coffee is known for its taste. Generally, roasters only use medium roasting, but because the coffee mostly grows in volcanic soil, another characteristic is that it withstands fire, so dark roasting can also be used, bringing you unexpected surprises.

Source:

Jisen Home Roasting Blog

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.