Well it was a little difficult waking up this morning after Bob Fest 2K8 last night at Sultans, but I was excited to visit a coffee plantation, since I will dabble with the beverage from time to time. It took around an hour, but we finally reached Del Cafe Tal plantation.
My purchases at Gander Mountain and Dicks definately paid off today, since we treked up and down throughout the muddy hills of the plantation. I have never seen nor relized that coffee comes from a plant and the measures it takes to reach the bottom of my cup. The hand picked berries are processes by having them scrubbed and washed to remove the fruity outer layer and dissolve the gummy substance surrounding the bean. The moist beans are then laid out to dry in the sun in the traditional manner. The leather skin of the bean is then removed by machine-rubbing, and the beans are sorted according to size and shape before being shipped off to the States and Europe. Del Cafe Tal's product has just been recognized as the best coffee in Costa Rica, which some indicate as the best in the world.
The owner sat us down at a pavillion near where the beans would dry and gave an overview of her business that she has been operating for the past 10 years. She has gone back and forth in producing the coffee organically and inorganically, but has settled to produce inorganically since she can produced 800 sacks to only 30 sacks organically. I learned the key to their success is location. Growing coffee at a high elevation and having an extended drying period due to the shade allows for a greater quality and higher caffine concentration in the bean. We were given a sample of their product at the end, which I enjoyed. The coffee is definately stronger here and will definately leave a lasting impression when I go to get my coffee at Dunkin Doughnuts back in the states.
Tomorrow we are heading to Cafe Britt, a large commerical producer of coffee in CR, it will be interesting to compare the two plantations and their products...
Thought I should speak some knowlege on fair trade coffee...
The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often working under terrible conditions and wages. Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into debt traps and poverty. Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers allows for community development with improvements towards health, education, and environmental stewardship. I also believe that Miami sells free trade coffee and Tuffy's and maybe at the King Cafe.
El Pescados tonight to finish up Bob Fest 2k8.
My purchases at Gander Mountain and Dicks definately paid off today, since we treked up and down throughout the muddy hills of the plantation. I have never seen nor relized that coffee comes from a plant and the measures it takes to reach the bottom of my cup. The hand picked berries are processes by having them scrubbed and washed to remove the fruity outer layer and dissolve the gummy substance surrounding the bean. The moist beans are then laid out to dry in the sun in the traditional manner. The leather skin of the bean is then removed by machine-rubbing, and the beans are sorted according to size and shape before being shipped off to the States and Europe. Del Cafe Tal's product has just been recognized as the best coffee in Costa Rica, which some indicate as the best in the world.
The owner sat us down at a pavillion near where the beans would dry and gave an overview of her business that she has been operating for the past 10 years. She has gone back and forth in producing the coffee organically and inorganically, but has settled to produce inorganically since she can produced 800 sacks to only 30 sacks organically. I learned the key to their success is location. Growing coffee at a high elevation and having an extended drying period due to the shade allows for a greater quality and higher caffine concentration in the bean. We were given a sample of their product at the end, which I enjoyed. The coffee is definately stronger here and will definately leave a lasting impression when I go to get my coffee at Dunkin Doughnuts back in the states.
Tomorrow we are heading to Cafe Britt, a large commerical producer of coffee in CR, it will be interesting to compare the two plantations and their products...
Thought I should speak some knowlege on fair trade coffee...
The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often working under terrible conditions and wages. Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into debt traps and poverty. Fair Trade is a viable solution to this crisis, assuring consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers allows for community development with improvements towards health, education, and environmental stewardship. I also believe that Miami sells free trade coffee and Tuffy's and maybe at the King Cafe.
El Pescados tonight to finish up Bob Fest 2k8.
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