I always get excited when Costa Rican beans land in the roastery. Why?
There are plenty of reasons, some obvious, but surprisingly not all of them directly related to the coffee.
Costa Rica is rightly thought of as an exotic country. Think of the Toucan with its vibrant colours and you get the idea! Jungles, volcanoes, long tropical beaches, cloud and rainforests, all contribute to the richness of this country.
Well, you may think there are plenty more countries that offer these. Yes, you’re right, however Costa Rica I feel has an extra ‘richness’ which makes it so special. So, here’s why.
A GREEN COUNTRY
For its size, in the earth’s context, it actually contains just over 6% of our whole planet’s biodiversity. To top that incredible figure (because if you really think about it, it is), 25% of Costa Rica’s land mass is protected. As a country, it has and is continually taking steps to protect this ecosystem.Costa Rica is regarded one of the world’s best growing regions. It’s climate and soil are just perfect for coffee growing. The volcanic soil is, not surprisingly, rich and fertile. This, combined with the altitude (hence the coolness) of the mountains and the all-important right amount of shade, contribute to making Costa Rica an ideal home for our precious coffee bean.
There are 8 growing regions in Costa Rica, but we do at the moment favour the Tarrazzu region. That’s not to say that coffee produced in the other regions, such as the Tres Rios and Brunca regions are less worthy! Generally speaking, Tarrazzu is considered the most desirable region.
Why?
THE BEANS, THE CO-OP
The beans from this region have matured slower due to the high altitude of the Tarrazzu region. The coffee farms in this region are the highest in the country.
So, because of this, the complex sugar and flavours of the beans develop differently which gives the Tarrazzu region beans their chocolatey fruity distinct profile of a good Costa Rica cup!
So, you can see, quite clearly, that Coope Dota is a little jewel within the Tarrazzu region.The area known as Tarrazzu comprises of three main parts, Dota, Tarrazzu and Leon Cortes. Its also known as Los Santos (All Saints), from the three main towns within each of these areas: San Pablo, San Marcos and Santa Maria de Dota. The farms from these areas form the Coopedota R.L.Prior to the formation of the cooperative, coffee farming was difficult in this area. With little expertise in farming the coffee ended up being sold to middlemen and hence the producers were unfairly paid. To add to this, the mills were located too far away which made things even more difficult for the producers.
Coffee was introduced to the area by Mr.Estanislao Ureña Mora and his brother Jose. They sowed a plantation of two hectares and produced their coffee without the use of agrochemicals. Ramon Blanco, another key person, later built a wet mill in San Pablo Leon Cortes. This was key to area, as producers no longer needed to take their coffee miles and miles away to be processed. Finally, in 1929, another mill was built in the area, in Santa Maria and although there was uncertainty at the time in coffee prices, the producers got together and turned to the National Bank. They received recommendations on how to process their own coffee by one of the Bank’s departments that helped farmers.
And so, Coopedota R.L. was born!
Coope Dota was the first coffee producer in the world to receive certification for being carbon neutral throughout its production line, including processing, and transportation. They constantly test new processing methods and constantly strive as a cooperative to make their coffee shine whilst at the same time ensuring best price for the farmers.
The coffee here is processed in three different ways: Natural, washed and honey. Our coffee is honey processed. We love this process as it means that 70% of the mucilage is left on the bean for the drying process.
They produce amazing coffees that we obviously love!!
So grab yourself a bag here
https://quantumroasters.co.uk/products/costa-rica-coope-dota
