Coffee Drinker’s Guide: Costa Rica — Pura Vida in a Cup
Pura Vida in a Cup
Pura Vida, the quintessential saying that encapsulates Costa Rican Culture in a few words, translates to many aspects of Costa Rica’s culture and life. “Pure Life” is something that you might hear as a greeting, thank you or as a way of explaining how you are feeling. If you find a great cup of coffee that’s ‘Pura Vida’ in a cup. More than just a saying, it’s a way of life, and this translates into the way Costa Rica produces its coffee.
“El grano de oro”, or the ‘golden grain’ benefits from Costa Rica’s volcanic soil, dry and rainy seasons, as well as favorable tropical environment with high altitudes (ICAFE CostaRica). The first Central American country to produce coffee, production dates back to 1779 (Cafe Imports), after coffee arrived in America, via Martinique, Antilles in 1720, where the first Coffea Arabica species (Typica variety) were planted in the new world. Legend has it that in 1816, a priest, Father Jose Felix Velarde took coffee beans to San Jose, and encouraged his community to grow coffee, and upon his death requested it be taken as far as Panama (ICAFE-Costa Rica). Subsequently, in the 19th century, the government promoted the production of coffee by giving away land, and soon coffee surpassed cocoa, tobacco, and sugar production as a major revenue source.
