5 Cool Facts About Costa Rican Coffees

1.  100% Arabica - It’s the law!

Costa Rica is a haven for quality coffee​ — in fact, growing anything less is actually illegal.

​The first coffee that was grown in Costa Rica in the late 1700s was Arabica and, in light of its high quality and value, the government wanted to keep it that way. Accordingly, in 1989 a law was passed banning the growth of the more resilient, but less flavorful and profitable Robusta beans. 

2. The conditions are perfect

And the Costa Rican government knows this better than anyone, which is why they offer many incentives to citizens to open coffee plantations such as supplying seeds and offering tax breaks.

​This benefits their economy twofold — it expands the growth of a valuable export and helps farmers gain greater financial stability. 

3. It's some of most valuable and sought-after coffee in the world

Costa Rica exports 90 percent of its coffee yield and, in spite of that, it serves less than 1% of the world’s coffee demand. Growers can barely keep up, and people are also willing to pay quite a premium for high quality Costa Rican single origins.

4. Costa Rica has 8 major Coffee growing regions, with Tarrazu being the most desirable

This is pretty remarkable for a country as small as this Central American coffee Mecca, but one region shines just a little brighter than the rest. The Tarrazu region is renowned for producing the most consistently high quality coffee beans thanks to its mountainous high altitude terrain, volcanic history, and cooler temperatures.

5. Hard Bean (SHB) means easy to enjoy

So we know Tarruzu is the most prized coffee growing region in Costa Rica, but there’s another special distinction many Costa Rican beans carry — the Strictly Hard Bean or (SHB) designation. SHB coffee, means denser, more complex and flavorful coffee beans. It also means optimal consistency of flavor across beans. These are both important factors that make for ideal Costa Rican roasts