Understanding Costa Rican coffee, starting with the type of coffee beans

Costa Rica is one of the world's major coffee exporters. As early as 1729, Cubans introduced coffee here. Costa Rica has a year-round dry and wet climate, fertile volcanic soil, and high-altitude terrain, all of which are very suitable for the growth of coffee, and the coffee quality is excellent.

Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia. Legend has it that a shepherd accidentally found his sheep jumping around and was very excited. After observing, he found that the sheep had eaten a kind of red fruit. He picked some red fruits and boiled them. Unexpectedly, the room was filled with fragrance. The boiled water made people feel refreshed after drinking it. Therefore, the locals regarded this water as "holy water". Later, with the advancement of technology, coffee gradually became popular all over the world.

Due to the stability of the country over the years and the strong support of the government for the coffee industry, after several centuries of development, coffee has gradually become the mainstay of Costa Rica's economy and ranks first among commercial crops. 80% of coffee is exported to the United States and Europe, bringing economic benefits to Costa Rica, so the locals call coffee "golden beans".

Costa Rica's natural resources are unique, and the locals are good at combining agricultural resources with business culture. In recent years, they have launched the "Coffee Tour" project, which has attracted a large number of tourists. When I arrived at the coffee plantation, I saw real coffee beans for the first time. The beans grew on the trees, closely arranged, and at first glance they looked like they grew on branches. It was completely different from what I imagined. Although I had seen pictures, I was still shocked when I saw it with my own eyes.

After coming here, I learned that coffee is divided into many different types. In Costa Rica, the types of coffee are distinguished by altitude. SHB refers to very hard beans grown above 1,500 meters above sea level, which is high-quality Costa Rican coffee. This extra-hard coffee bean suitable for medium and heavy roasting has a strong acidity and charming aroma. GHB refers to good hard beans grown between 1,000 and 1,200 meters above sea level, and MHB refers to medium-hard beans grown between 500 and 1,000 meters above sea level.

SHBDOTA refers to Tarrazú, a region located in the south of the capital of Costa Rica, where high-quality top-grade coffee is produced. People use AA scores to grade coffee. Scores above 80 are boutique coffees, scores between 80-83 are AA-grade coffees, scores of 85 are AAA-grade coffees, and scores above 85 are A4 coffees. A4 coffee is an extremely precious variety of high-altitude coffee, and its price is naturally more expensive.

Specialty coffee has to go through a variety of processes and be screened out layer by layer. Farmers harvest several tons of coffee beans and then peel, wash, dry and finally roast them. For some high-quality coffees in Costa Rica, the roasting step is skipped.

During the first screening, the beans are usually shelled and sold at a relatively low price. During the second screening, beans of better quality will appear. During the third screening, 90% of the beans are guaranteed to be of good quality. After several screenings, a small amount of fine products can be produced. The more screenings, the more manpower and material resources consumed, and the price gradually increases. Finally, fine coffee beans are selected according to grade and sold on the market. Different types of coffee have different tastes.

Of course, the quality of coffee beans is also related to the growing environment of the coffee that year, and will be affected by the weather. Just like wine has different years. If the grapes grow well that year, the brewed wine will taste fresh and pleasant. If there is plenty of sunshine and long sunshine hours that year, the nutritional value of coffee beans will be higher.

As an agricultural country, Costa Rica cannot do without the considerable income brought by coffee planting, and the huge demand for coffee in Western countries supports the development of the coffee industry. In people's daily life, coffee is an indispensable necessity. When we watch American TV series, we can always see people getting up early to buy coffee. Even when they are having a party and chatting, people often choose to go to a coffee shop. This is not only a movie plot, but also a portrayal of real life. If you also like coffee, you might as well come to Costa Rica to taste the taste of boutique coffee, which will definitely make you linger for a long time.