The history of Costa Rican coffee only grows Arabica coffee beans? Traditional coffee extraction method

iPura Vida! This is Costa Rica's tourism motto and national slogan, translated as Enjoy Life. Anyone who's been there will tell you that there's no better way to enjoy life than with a cup of freshly roasted Costa Rican coffee between visiting the country's lush jungles and stunning beaches.

Costa Rica is located in Central America (between Panama and Nicaragua) and has a mild climate. Combined with the hilly terrain of the country and the rainy season, the climate provides ideal conditions for growing healthy coffee plants and producing quality coffee beans. Many Costa Rican coffees have intense aromas, excellent taste and flavors that will definitely excite your taste buds. So why is Tico coffee so good? This is a brief history of Costa Rica's coffee industry. The excellent quality and rich flavor of Costa Rican coffee is no accident. Both take time and a lot of effort to achieve (rich flavor and unmatched quality).

As early as 1779, the first coffee beans arrived in Costa Rica from Martinique. Due to its mountainous terrain and tropical climate, coffee fared very well in Costa Rica, quickly becoming one of the country's largest and most important exports.

By 1829, coffee brought in more revenue than sugar, tobacco, and cocoa. To encourage production, the Government provided free land to coffee farmers. At the time, Britain was the largest consumer of Costa Rican coffee. This trend continued until World War II and eventually entered the global market.

Coffee is an important export product of Costa Rica and legislation is therefore enacted to ensure its quality. In 1989, the government passed a law banning the cultivation and production of Robusta coffee because of its poor quality. Soon after, farmers voluntarily stopped producing Catimores coffee because it was also of low quality. The government's ban on second-rate coffee beans has eased slightly. Farmers, however, remain committed to growing Arabica beans where coffee is grown almost everywhere.

Although Costa Rica is not the largest coffee producer in the world, it is arguably the best coffee bean in the world. This is why multinational companies such as Starbucks are opening coffee plantations in Costa Rica. That said, every time you walk into Starbucks (or any other coffee shop), there's a good chance you'll be tasting some Costa Rican delicacy.

Costa Rican coffee brewing tradition

While Costa Rican coffee is available in a variety of brewing methods, from espresso to cold brew, chorreador is favored by locals. It is a variant of the dumping device, nothing more than a wooden filter holder that works with most paper filters. You fold it up and put it in the opening, pour the coffee powder, put the cup under the filter, and pour hot water over it. Chorreador produces a mellow, smooth beer that complements local beans. Antique coffee machine at the Costa Rican museum. Also known as chorreador de cafe. Photos are below:

The trick to using this coffee maker is measuring correctly. Be sure to use a tablespoon of ground coffee and about 4 ounces of hot water. The chorreador comes with a wooden stand that can also hold coffee cups and a filter cloth for brewing coffee. Simply put coffee beans into a filter cloth and pour hot water to make coffee. Once the coffee drips off the filter cloth, it's ready to drink.

The beauty of Costa Rican coffee beans is that they are very rich. You can do anything with them and use any machine and the coffee is still great. That said, it is best to use filter brewing (e.g. pouring) to make a lighter roast to emphasize the slightly sour taste of coffee.

On the other hand, if your Costa Rica coffee is medium or dark roast, use automatic dripper or French press for body balance. Whether you drink coffee alone or latte, your medium coffee will taste sweet.