Coffee from Costa Rica

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Coffee from Costa Rica Overview

Coffee has been the fundamental base and engine for the economic, social, and cultural development of Costa Rica, that is why it is known in coffee jargon as "El Grano de Oro". It is also considered one of the best coffee in the world, standing out for its great quality.

100% of the coffee grown in the country belongs to the Arabica species, of the Caturra and Catuaí varieties, which produce a higher quality bean and a cup with better characteristics. It is harvested in the most fertile soils of volcanic origin, located between 800 and 1,600 meters above sea level.

The Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (Icafe), on behalf of the sector, promoted the National Coffee Plan with actions that managed to improve the conditions in which coffee is produced, benefited, and marketed nationally and internationally. Currently, eight areas of the national territory are used for the cultivation of coffee, which are Brunca, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Turrialba, Central Valley, Western Valley, Tarrazú, and last but not least Guanacaste.

The coffee harvesting method is carried out manually and selectively, choosing the mature bean. Each of the coffee-growing regions of the country signed a quality improvement agreement with the commitment to receive and process only ripe fruit, guaranteeing a better quality cup.

Among the processes are the use of wet mills, where the pulp is removed on the same day as the grain harvest, drying is carried out in the sun, one of the systems with the highest demand in highly demanding world markets. The procedure lasts seven days, according to data provided by Icafe.

Costa Rica coffee is produced in a conscious sustainable way, in plantations with high biological diversity and also with very low applications of agrochemicals. Thus, it conserves resources, protects the environment, produces efficiently, competes commercially, and also enhances the quality of life of farmers and society. In general terms, insecticides are not used in Costa Rican coffee plantations; weed control is done with a mixture of chemicals and manual labor.

The application of chemicals is done in a rational and manual way from plant to plant and not aerial, avoiding contamination of rivers and water sources by the agrochemicals used in the cultivation of coffee.

The differentiated settlements are also part of these actions aimed at achieving good quality, to encourage the production, processing, and marketing of higher quality coffee. Thus, the registration, verification, control, and monitoring of a graining process with different characteristics were established. The goal of the Costa Rican coffee sector is to continue increasing the sale of the bean in the fine coffee markets; maintain the strategy emphasizing quality.

Health benefits of coffee

Considerably reduces the risk of colon or breast cancer
It has been shown that it minimizes the risk of having a heart attack
It is an ally against depression
Improves cognitive functions
Helps physical performance
Burns body fat
It prevents diabetes

The importance of coffee in the history of Costa Rica

An emblematic product for Costa Rica is, without a doubt, its famous coffee. It is part of the cultural memory of the country, a drink of great local consumption, and an important resource for the economy. Of course, due to its export in large quantities to various parts of the world. It was always present in history from the beginning to the present time.

Coffee for Costa Rica was historically a product of vital importance in many aspects. For the development of the country's economy, for the exploration and growth of the gastronomic industry, and for the cultural growth of people that lived through its history in the company of this ancient drink. To determine the arrival of the first coffee beans to the territory, we go back to the late 1700s, when they arrived from the Island of Martinique. The variety that had arrived at that time was typical, of the Arabica genus.

It is estimated that the first planting of these seeds took place in plots located in what is now Central Avenue and the Street - there is currently a plaque commemorating this historical fact - belonging to the priest Félix Valverde, who cultivated it in 1809 and he also distributed seeds among his neighbors so they could join in making plantations in their homes. There is a record that on October 12, 1820, a ship called Our Lady left for El Perico, in Panama, with what was the first quintal of "Coffee from Costa Rica." The grand appearance of the coffee plant undoubtedly meant for the country one of the most important events in the history of its economy. Before its arrival, Costa Rica was a nation mired in poverty.

For this reason, in the hands of Mariano Montealegre, the cultivation of coffee was promoted in the decades of 1830 - 1840, generating in this activity an economic engine that allowed great development. This event was accompanied by the Heads of State Juan Mora Fernández and Braulio Carrillo, who quickly understood the importance that this was going to represent for the growth of society. In 1832 the first export was made to Chile - a place where European merchants used to buy - where Mr. Jorge Stiepel, a well-known German merchant who lived in Costa Rica, resells it to London under the name of Café Chileno de Valparaíso. From there, fame began to grow until Captain William Le Lacheur managed to activate direct trade with the English ports and traveled from Puntarenas to London with a cargo of 5.

It was already decreed, international success was a reality and the modernization of the country was advancing in all aspects: new roads and railways, post office, construction of the first University, creation of the first national printing press, issuance of currency, construction of the Theater National and numerous works that made the cities develop urbanistically.

Between 1846 and 1890, coffee was a monoculture, that is, it was the only thing that was planted and exported throughout the country. In those early years, coffee growers dried in their own patios shelled the grain with a pestle, and stored it for personal consumption. The government promoted its production by granting seeds for free with land titling for anyone who wanted to work in the production of this unstoppable success. With the growth of exports, the beneficiation and the techniques used to produce improved considerably. In 1830 Buenaventura Espinach built a paved patio and the first wet mill was built. It was located south of Cartago, on the El Molino farm.

At present, coffee in Costa Rica is still cultivated entirely by hand and the experience of so many years of production has managed to improve the quality. With the constant support of universities and educational centers, this product has contributed to maintaining its prestige and its particularities, to make it an identity mark for the country of Costa Rica.