There’s a lot of debate among coffee drinkers about which coffee is the best.
Much like with wine, different varieties of beans and different growing regions can have a huge impact on the final flavor of your morning cup of joe. But if you want one of the finest coffee experiences available, you need to try Costa Rica coffee.
Costa Rica produces some of the best coffee in the world – in fact, it’s law that they do so.
They also use ethical growing practices and hand-pick their beans to ensure the highest quality possible. Read on to discover why you should try Costa Rica coffee.
Bad Coffee Is Against the Law
Coffee enthusiasts around the world agree that Arabica coffee beans are the best.
These beans offer a richer, more flavorful coffee compared to Robusta coffee. Arabica beans tend to be a little more difficult to grow, but their superior flavor is undeniable.
In Costa Rica, it’s illegal to grow the inferior Robusta bean; farmers are only allowed to grow Arabica coffee. This does come with some human rights issues since if a more finicky Arabica coffee crop fails, a small farmer may find themselves in deep trouble. But it is true that the country’s coffee quality is better for this law.
The Climate Is Perfect
Part of the reason Arabica coffee beans are so difficult to grow is that they have to have the perfect climate. They like to grow at heights of 2,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, but the plants also want a mild climate. Costa Rica is perfect for that, with average annual temperatures ranging only between 63 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coffee plants also want a lot of water, which the Costa Rican climate provides.
The mountains see an average rainfall of between 78 and 118 inches every year. The soil is enriched by volcanic ash from the eruptions which formed the landscape, helping to oxygenate the beans and give them richer flavors.
Beans Are Hand-Picked
Coffee beans must be picked at exactly the right time in their life cycle. If you pick them too soon when the cherries are still green, the resulting coffee will be thin-tasting and sour. But if you wait too long, the beans can start to ferment.
Not every cherry on a coffee plant matures at the same time, so Costa Rican farmers treat them individually.
Each day in the harvest season, they check every cherry to see if it’s ready yet and then hand-pick them when they are. The result is a coffee that has literally been hand-selected to be its best.
There Are Eight Varieties
There are eight distinct growing regions in Costa Rica, and each of these produces coffee with a distinct flavor profile. The eight growing regions are Valle Occidental, Tres Rios, Turrialba, Brunca, Orosi, Tarrazu, Valle Central, and Guanacaste. These are clustered along the center line of the country high up in the mountains.
Tarrazu is one of the most famous growing regions, producing beans with an acidic taste and heavy aroma. Brunca coffee tends to be more medium-bodied, and Valle Occidental coffee has apricot and peach flavor profiles.
So even when you’re drinking Costa Rican coffee, there are a variety of flavor profiles you can experience.
There Are Different Processing Approaches
In addition to the eight different growing regions, there are also three different processing techniques used in Costa Rica. Each of these processing methods adds a distinct flavor profile to the coffee. So if anyone’s counting, we’re now up to twenty-four possible flavors of coffee all from one bean variety in one country.
Washed coffee tends to have a clean, mild taste with notes of honey, milk chocolate, and bright fruit. Honey processed coffees retain that same honey profile, but with darker notes of molasses and a little more sweetness.
Natural coffees tend to be a little more syrupy and have berry, citrus, and grape flavors.
Production Regulations Protect the Environment
In a world on the brink of an environmental disaster, we all need to be more conscious of how the things we buy and consume impact the environment. But when you buy Costa Rican coffee, you can rest easy in the knowledge that your coffee is protecting the environment. Costa Rican laws regulating coffee production ensure that the process is as green as possible.
Costa Rica has laws in place protecting 21 percent of its land, ensuring that oxygen-producing trees won’t be cut down for coffee farming land.
They also have a Bird Friendly certification that farms can earn. This certification requires that farms have a certain level of coverage and tall trees that birds can nest in.
You’re Supporting Small Farmers
Supporting small farmers and businesspeople helps to nourish the local economy and lessen some of the wealth gap in the world. And when you buy Costa Rican coffee, you’re doing just that.
Almost 90 percent of the coffee that comes out of that country is grown on farms that are less than 12 acres.
There are more than 70,000 small farmers growing coffee in Costa Rica. About 45,000 of these belong to cooperatives that stick to fair trade regulations. So when you buy coffee from Costa Rica, you can be sure that you’re supporting an industry that supports small business owners.
Discover the Beauty of Costa Rica Coffee
There are a ton of great reasons to buy Costa Rica coffee, not the least of which is that it’s delicious.
Costa Rican farmers work to produce the best coffee possible, and there are dozens of different flavor profiles that come out of the region. But the coffee industry there is also focused on ethical growing practices that protect both farmers and the environment.
If you’d like to try some Costa Rican coffee for yourself, check out the rest of our site at Intercontinental Coffee Traders.
We’re specialty importers of fine green coffee who travel to remote regions of the world to bring you the best coffee beans available. Check out our coffees and discover what a truly fine cup of coffee can be.