It might be that your in a foreign land filled with enjoyment and a mentality that everything tastes better because this is where the best Coffee comes from. Then again there is an actual process as to why the Coffee tastes so good in this little country.
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The Process
Coffee is perhaps one of the simplest but most enjoyable things about our day and has some unknown health benefits. When you wake up it is generally the first thought that comes to mind, I NEED COFFEE! Even those that do not drink coffee regularly have to acknowledge that some coffee is much better than others.
We are so used to Instant coffee in a can, or that famous Starbucks grande late, even that Double double famous in Canada. So how does the process begin? To start, Coffee is grown from the beans on a tree. These trees can take up to three or four years before being ready to produce the coffee beans. Harvesting begins in November and is done by hand, each worker can produce 15 – 20 Cajuelas per day. This is about 17 liters or (4.5 gallons).
Now processing begins, the most common method in Costa Rica is to wash the choicest of red beans. Then the beans are depulped leaving only a parchment layer on for the drying process. Now they sundry it for Ten days. Once dried they are bagged for some months. Each producer has different techniques and secrets to their processing, giving you so many different flavors of coffee.
Roasting the beans is where the true art form of coffee making comes out. This skill set has been perfected over hundreds of years and can be likened to the famous brewmasters than make great beers. Although these masters make the thing that keeps you going from day to day. Roasting enhances the flavors and aromas of the coffee bean and is the deciding factor whether the coffee will taste good or not. After roasting they will either pack the roasted beans or more likely grind it up and package the finished product.
Coffee Tasters (Catadores)
Coffee tasting or coffee cupping another popular term is yet another process of selecting the best of the best coffee. These Catadores can go through many years of training before they give professional opinions about what the best cup of coffee should taste like. It is a true science that they go through and brings out the inner chemist. Tasters will taste a spoonful of coffee while cold and then hot. If it tastes good while cold than the coffee will be that much better while hot.
Tours
In Costa Rica, your vacation is not complete without taking a tour of a Coffee plantation. There are two places that come highly recommended to take a tour, the Cafe Britt and the Doka Estate. Both places give you a real in-depth look at the process of making coffee from plant to cup. You will be able to participate in the process and at the end be able to taste the best coffees in all of Costa Rica. Before you leave make sure to buy a couple of bags to take home with you.
A Tradition
While a lot of us are very used to making coffee in a machine or getting it made for us at a food chain, many Ticos still make it the traditional way. The traditional way is with a Chorreador, a coffee bag, and cup/pitcher to catch the coffee once filtered. You place several spoonfuls of coffee into the bag and then pour boiling water through the bag. The coffee will filter through into the pitcher. Generally, you filter it through twice and then your coffee is ready to drink.
When will you be coming to taste your cup of Costa Rican Coffee?
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