Although Costa Rica is not a large country, it occupies an important place on the global coffee map. The country has a coffee-growing history of more than two hundred years and enjoys natural advantages such as fertile volcanic ash soil, mild temperatures, and abundant rainfall, producing a diverse range of coffees from commercial Arabica to COE competition-level lots and even Geisha varieties. Traditionally, Costa Rica is divided into seven major regions, but with the development of specialty coffee, micro-regions and small-estate lots are constantly being discovered. Brunca, as the newest region, has cultivation altitudes between 800 and 1,200 meters. It was not well known in the past, but after Treasure Estate emerged in the COE competition in 2015, it gradually attracted attention. This article will introduce the cultivation conditions and flavor characteristics of the Brunca region.
It has been more than two centuries since coffee was introduced to Costa Rica. Although it ranks third from the bottom among Central American countries in land area, this country plays a pivotal role in the coffee world. Costa Rica currently has about 4.5 million residents, yet the number of coffee trees reaches as many as 400 million, and coffee export value accounts for 25% of the country's total exports. According to local statistics, about one-third of the population works in coffee-related industries, so it can be said that coffee has profoundly changed the standard of living in this country.
Costa Rica enjoys exceptional natural conditions: fertile volcanic ash soil, mild and pleasant temperatures, stable and abundant rainfall, ample daytime sunlight, and significant temperature differences between day and night. Together, these factors have made coffee a major agricultural product of the country. The green coffee beans produced locally cover many grades, including commercial affordable Arabica beans, high-quality green beans from the Cup of Excellence coffee competition (COE), and the prestigious Geisha variety, plus countless post-processing methods such as white, yellow, red, and black, making it dazzling to the eye. Traditionally, Costa Rica is divided into seven regions, distributed from northwest to southeast along the inland Central Plateau: West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, and Turrialba. Several of these regions may already be familiar in the Chinese coffee market, but with the evolution of specialty coffee, the division into large regions can no longer satisfy the curiosity of enthusiasts pursuing high-quality coffee, so more and more micro-regions and micro-lots from small estates are being discovered.
Today, Costa Rica's coffee industry is one of the well-organized industries in the world, with yields reaching 1,700 kilograms per hectare. The country has a population of 3.5 million, yet as many as 400 million coffee trees, and coffee exports account for 25% of total exports. In Costa Rica's coffee-producing areas, coffees of various grades and types also account for one-third of global consumption. This shows that the excellent quality of the coffee she produces has earned her a place in the global coffee market; and the reason it is loved cannot overlook the development journey of the coffee industry along the way.
Brunca region: cultivation altitude 800–1,200 meters.
It is Costa Rica's newest region, suitable for all kinds of consumers, and its flavor has compatibility with other regions.
In the past, the Brunca region was actually not particularly well known, but when Treasure Estate rose in 2015, people began to notice this region.
In 2015, Treasure Estate took 33rd place in the CoE. It was introduced into China, and many people highly praised the competition honey-processed lot at that time! It also made people begin to have great expectations for this region.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
