Coffee Time…

I have been hopelessly addicted to coffee for a long time, and one of the more enduring memories I have of my father was that he was never far away from a cup (or thermos) of coffee. He liked his with that canned condensed milk and at least 3 spoons of sugar – I called it candy coffee.

However, since arriving in Costa Rica I realized how little I actually knew about how coffee is produced. You could have told me that it grew on a vine, or underground, or in a pod like peas and I couldn’t have argued otherwise. Today I learned just a little bit more how it’s picked at least. (BTW they grow on kind of a bushy little tree, perhaps 8-9 feet tall, with dark green pointy leaves).

We live on sort of a rural road with coffee plants growing in lots of different places, including right on the other side of our fence. They are so close in fact, I sometimes have to move a branch or 2 away from our clothesline while hanging clothes.

Anyway, the middle of November marks the beginning of coffee picking season, and our Nicaraguan maid Maria told me today that there are lots of transient workers in town from Nicaragua just to pick coffee.

I had no idea just how the picking was done (was it a machine? did they cut them down, or what?) so I was quite intrigued to see a guy just over the fence picking beans by hand! He had a sturdy wicker basket tied to his waist with a wide cloth belt, and he just pulled the branches down and stripped off the beans with efficiency. He somehow managed to leave the green beans on the branch, and only pick the red, ripe ones. I went up and said hello, found out his name is Martin, and that he has worked for the “finca” (or farm), for 10 years. The owner is a rich doctor from San Jose. He told me that the coffee is taken to the “beneficio” (which I think means something like a co-op) just down the road from us for production. Someone told us we might be able to get a tour around the place so I’m going to try to arrange that for when the in-laws are here visiting.

I tried to ask him if these particular plants were a particular brand or quality, but it was beyond my Spanish. He did say that the best quality beans are sent out of the country and the Costa Ricans are left to drink the lesser quality stuff. I couldn’t tell if he was bitter or not, but I’m sure it’s probably true, and that’s a little disappointing.

I found out that “Shade Grown Coffee” is more natural, more sustainable and better for the environment, and I realized with pleasure that that is how I see coffee plants most often around here (including next door). Growing under other types of larger trees.

Oh, what I can say about the quality of the coffee that we buy here (which IS grown and produced right here), is that it’s great! If we are getting the B-grade stuff, it’s just fine with me. Oh, and cheap also.

 

Shade grown coffee on a hill just down our street.

 

 

 

 

Martin hand-picking coffee right next door.