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).

I am taking a journey around the world — through coffee. I want to explore how coffee is grown and how artisans make such beautiful products for the world. This journey is dedicated to the coffee farmer.

Tasting coffee is much easier using a tasting wheel to fully appreciate all its flavors, acidity and tasting notes. Coffee can have either light, medium or heavy body, meaning how viscous it is — a heavy body might be more syrupy, while a light body is less thick.

It all begins with an idea.

Peru is the second largest producer of organic coffee in the world (CATIE, 2019). Coffee in Peru and generally throughout Latin America came from the common ancestor of the Typica variety of Arabica plants. About half of all production is based in the Northern region of Cajamarca. Peru’s microclimates and regions allow for diversity in coffee growing, and therefore distinct flavors.