Specialty Coffee | Roast Coffee Bean The growth of exports in the select coffee market, mainly to the United States, the increase in the sales price of export-quality coffee and the best differentials paid for our coffee in the primary world markets, are some of the successful results of implementing programs designed to achieve an increasingly higher quality bean.Why is Costa Rican coffee better? 100% of our coffee comes from the Arabica specie, the Caturra and Catuaí varieties, which produce a high quality bean and a cup with better organoleptic characteristics: pleasant, aromatic, and select. The planting of coffee Robusta has been prohibited by law since 1989 because of its inferior cup quality. In addition, the Catimores have stopped being cultivated, on a large scale, to preserve cup quality.Our coffee is grown in volcanic and low-acidic fertile soil, conditions ideal for production. More than 80% of the coffee area is located between 800 and 1,600 meters (2,625 feet-5,250 feet) above sea level and in temperatures between 17 and 28ºC(62.6ºF-82.4ºF), with annual precipitation between 2,000 and 3,000 millimeters (79 inches-118 inches).In 2001, the National Coffee Institute, ICAFE, the sector's representative, launched the National Coffee Plan with measures to improve the conditions in which coffee is produced, processed, and marketed.The advanced technology that the Costa Rican coffee producer has used for more than 200 years has allowed the plantations to adapt to the characteristics of each zone. Today Costa Rican coffee is grown in 8 production zones: Brunca, Turrialba, Tres Ríos, Orosi, Tarrazú, the Central and Western Valleys and Guanacaste. The manual and selective method of picking is used: only ripe berries are selected (at optimal ripeness); this allows the coffee to be more easily washed. Each Costa Rican coffee region signed a Quality Improvement Agreement in which the owners of the processing plants have committed to receive and process only ripe fruit, which guarantees better cup quality. The Costa Rican coffee sector only uses wet processing, in which the removal of the pulp is done the same day that it is harvested. Also, the classification and cleaning, after removing the pulp, is done before the fermenting process, with the idea of eliminating the remaining pulp and removing possible defective beans. The sun-dry method is used in the Costa Rican process, one of the more preferred systems of the demanding world markets; the process lasts 7 days. Mechanical drying is also used, which reduces the precise optimal drying time (12% humidity) to only 24 hours.As another display of Costa Rican coffee quality, the first tasting competition was organized in 2007, in which 10 best coffees were selected as winners. Three of them were selected by a panel of experts during the Cupping Pavilion competition of the Specialty Coffee Association of America.Differential payments also form part of these measures taken to achieve quality. Registration, verification, control and follow-up of the commercialization process of the bean with unique characteristics were established in order to stimulate production, processing, and commercialization of the highest quality of coffee.The processing firms that participate are committed to receiving, processing, drying, storing, and marketing the bean completely separate from the others processed conventionally as well as paying for it with differential payments with prices superior to those of conventional coffee. The price difference is significant.The goal of Costa Rica's coffee growing sector is to continue improving bean sales while adhering to its strategy of "quality, not quantity"; to always provide increasing value to our coffee and to increasingly provide the local market with quality coffee.There are lots of myths and legends when it comes to the history of coffee. Many thought the cup of coffee to be very mysterious and this stimulating coffee found itself shrouded in mystery in the earlier days. One of the most popular legends is associated with a goatherd named Kaldi. One day, when Kaldi was with his herd of goats he noticed a sudden change in their behavior. The goats turned spirited and that was made Kaldi hunt for the probable reason. That was the time he viewed a wild coffee shrub and it dawned on him that his goats probably had eaten some cherries off this shrub. Curious, it led him to have a taste of the wild cherries himself. Upon feeling energized, he spread the story of these wild cherries in his village. From the local monastery, the tale spread between the monks and even the locals. The monks found it very useful as it helped them to stay awake for their ceremonies that went through the night. The Arabs were considered to be the first to cultivate coffee. They even began the trade. The first coffee plants are said to have come from the shores of the Red Sea. Coffee beans were actually considered to be a food in the olden days. The cherries were minced together and then mixed into the rest of the food. It was only in the 11th century that coffee first saw itself being developed into a hot drink.The Venetian merchants imported coffee to Europe and by the 17th century, coffee had made its way not only to Europe, but was gaining popularity across the continent. Initially condemned due to religious reasons, one saw major controversies erupt around this dark beverage. Despite the facts that surrounded it, the mid 17th century saw a number of coffee houses cropping up all over the town. A lot of people gathered here to discuss business and to gossip in general.The Arabs though were very possessive about the growing popularity of coffee and its spread around the world. The beans were dispatched from the Yemen province of Arabia and were kept a highly guarded secret. It was later thought, that it was either the Dutch or a group of Pilgrims who finally tried to smuggle the plants to India. After a few attempts, coffee finally took root in India. The cultivation then expanded to the islands of Java and Sumatra.The Dutch brought coffee to France in 1715. Louis XIV of France was presented with a coffee plant and it was then planted in the Royal Botanical Garden. Also known as the Noble Tree, it had the French really hooked on to coffee and the crops really flourished with the plantation of the Noble Tree.This tree saw itself have roots in various other parts of the world. Francisco de Mello Palheta is known to have brought the coffee into Brazil. He was sent to obtain coffee beans from the French Guinea. The French were known to guard this fiercely and Francisco de Mello Palheta would have actually been unsuccessful, had he not to have a very appealing personality. This resulted in the Governor's wife presenting him with a huge bouquet of flowers. It was only much later; he made the discovery of the coffee seeds buried deep inside it! The history of coffee has seen so many travelers, pilgrims and traders go on long voyages carrying these precious coffee seeds all over the world. New plantations meant more business and slowly, coffee plantations and its export, turned into a very profitable industry from the olden days till date.Many innovations that go into the making of this beverage have seen the coffee really metamorphose over time. So the next time you sip your perfectly blended cup of coffee in a very swanky coffee shop, I hope this captivating history of coffee would linger on in your minds, for a long time to come. Sitting by the window, set amidst a cozy atmosphere, the fresh aroma of coffee stirred some thoughts in my mind. A group of boisterous teens nearby created quite a ruckus and I wondered if it was the result of perhaps, having too much coffee?Hot and steamy or cold and frothy, I noticed, different people like their coffee's served in various ways. This led me to think and ponder whether anyone has really wondered what went behind this alluring cup of coffee whilst they sipped the enticing brew?The appeal of coffee has spanned over various continents but when I really discovered the origins of coffee is as rich as the brew itself, it really propelled me to share some of these fascinating stories with you.Coffee is a staple diet for many people and, for most of us, our day does not begin without a cup of steaming hot coffee. However, as people know about the health risks associated with coffee, they are looking for alternatives which can replace their favorite drink. One such alternative to regular coffee is, the decaf or decaffeinated coffee. As the name suggests, decaf coffee is a version of coffee which has very less caffeine content. Due to this, individuals are of the opinion that by drinking decaf coffee they are actually safe from the health problems that are associated with normal coffee. However, there is speculation regarding this belief about decaf coffee and hence, it is very important to know if there are any decaf coffee health benefits, as well as risks, before consuming it.How is Coffee Decaffeinated?While making decaf coffee, the coffee beans have to go through various stages. Although decaffeinated coffee process is varied and long, most of the processes focus on retaining the other components which enhance the flavor and taste of coffee. One of the popular ways of decaffeinating coffee is through the 'Swiss Water Process'. Here, the coffee beans are soaked in hot water which take away the caffeine, as well as other coffee solids. When the coffee beans are completely ripped out of caffeine and the other compounds, the coffee beans are taken out, and the water in which they were soaked is passed through a carbon filter. This carbon filter, absorbs the caffeine, but retains the other components in the water. Then, this water is poured into a new batch of coffee beans. As this solution contains only other components of coffee, only the caffeine is taken off from the new beans. Then, the solution is passed through the carbon filter and the process isrepeated till the coffee beans are 97% to 99.9% free from caffeine.Another process which helps in removing caffeine from coffee beans is called the direct method. Here, the chemical ethyl acetate is used to take away the caffeine content in coffee. In this method, the coffee beans are steamed for half an hour. Once this is done, these coffee beans are rinsed with the ethyl acetate solvent for at least ten hours. The solvent absorbs the caffeine during this process and after ten hours, the solvent is drained away. However, even after this, the coffee beans are steamed for ten hours, so that any remaining solvent can be removed from the coffee beans. Although, there are many other methods for removing caffeine from coffee, these two are the most commonly used among them.Is Decaf Coffee Bad for You?As we now know about the process of making decaf coffee, the next step is to know whether decaf coffee is good or bad for health. The answer to this question is a little vague. This is because people who opt for decaf coffee are those who are advised to stay away from caffeine and those who want to stay away from the health risks associated with coffee. One of the major advantages of having decaf coffee is that the intake of caffeine is very less and thus, one is saved from the health risks associated with the consumption of regular coffee. Apart from this, it is also said that drinking decaf coffee helps in controlling one's blood pressure as opposed to the regular coffee. However, though decaf coffee caffeine content is less than 5 milligrams in a cup, the caffeine content is not completely minimized. In other words, people who drink 5-6 cups of decaf coffee are actually taking same amount of caffeine as that is taken by people who drink 1-2 cups of normal coffee. In this case, it can be said that drinking decaf coffee is not completely safe. Also, decaf coffee which is made with the direct method may still retain some of the chemicals used in it. As ethyl acetate is a chemical which is naturally found in fruits, manufacturers label this process as a natural one. However, it is not completely true, rather most of the times, a small amount of this chemical remains in the coffee beans. In this case, regular exposure to the chemical can actually cause severe problems like organ damage. You can gain some more information about coffee through the article, is coffee bad for you.As women are advised against drinking coffee during pregnancy, because it can have negative effects on the fetus, many pregnant women are shifting to decaf coffee. However, another common question that is asked by people, 'is decaf coffee bad for you when pregnant'. The answer to the question is, again, not very clear mainly because not much studies have been done in this regard. However, as too much of decaf coffee does have the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee, even decaf coffee may not be good for the unborn baby. Nevertheless, as the connection between decaf coffee and pregnancy are not yet known, it would be better to consult your doctor before taking any step.Decaf Coffee Health Risks One of the most common decaf coffee side effects is acidity. It has been seen that people who drink decaf coffee are more likely to experience problems like acid reflux, GERD as well as ulcers. The main reason for this is that the decaf coffee is made with Robusta beans. As these coffee beans are high in fat, individuals consuming it are also highly susceptible to find an increase in their cholesterol levels. Research has also seen that drinking decaffeinated coffee increases the person's risk of having a heart attack as well as other heart diseases. Some other health problems associated with decaf coffee include rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and glaucoma. Also, as I said earlier, the presence of the ethyl acetate in the coffee beans can increase the risk of organ damage as well as for developing cancer as it is a dangerous chemical. You may like to know more about negative effects of coffee.Another factor that goes against decaf coffee is that the process of decaffeinating actually takes away the actual flavor of coffee which is a turn off for many people. However, there are still many people who opt for decaf coffee. Nevertheless, looking at the information above, it can be said that be it regular coffee or decaf coffee, anything in excess can be harmful. Hence, even if you are opting for decaffeinated coffee, do not consume too much just because it has less caffeine. On the other hand, if you have been asked to stop having caffeine for health reasons, it is better to avoid regular as well as decaf coffee completely to prevent any kind of complications. http://roastcoffeebean.blogspot.com/2010/09/specialty-coffee.html

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