Central and South America, being close to the major coffee-consuming country—the United States, historically received economic and technological assistance from the U.S. Also, due to historical reasons, there are many immigrants from developed countries in Central and South America. Their arrival has left a deep mark on this land. Coffee is a symphony jointly composed by humanity.Today’s coffee journey takes us to Costa Rica, the earliest Central American country to cultivate coffee.
Costa Rica is not only one of the earliest countries to grow coffee and the inventor of the honey processing method, but also the first country in Central America to fully establish a coffee industry.Their coffee has floral and fruity aromas, with a sweet, honey-like taste.
These coffees mainly come from eight major coffee-growing regions in Costa Rica, primarily cultivated in the central highland volcanic areas. These include West Valley, Central Valley, Tarrazú, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Brunca, Turrialba, and Guanacaste.Among them, the most famous is the Gedeb (Tarrazú) producing area.Costa Rica grades its coffee based on altitude, divided into six grades: SHB, HB, SH, EPW, PW, EGW, and GW.Currently, specialty coffee commonly uses SHB, HB, and SH grades of coffee beans.Here is the specific altitude classification, listed from the highest grade to the lowest:
Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) above 4500 meters
Hard Bean (HB) 4000–4500 meters
Semi-Hard Bean (SH) 3500–4000 meters
Extra Prime Washed (EPW) 3000–3500 meters
Prime Washed (PW) 2500–3000 meters
Extra Good Washed (EGW) 2000–2500 meters
Good Washed (GW) below 2000 meters
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