Coffee for Costa Rica historically was a product of vital importance in many aspects. For the country's economic development, for the exploration and growth of the gastronomic industry and for the cultural development of a people who lived through their history with the company of this ancient beverage. To trace the arrival of the first coffee beans in the territory, we go back to the late 1700s when they arrived from the Island of Martinique. The variety that had arrived back then was a typica, of the arabica genus.
It is estimated that the first planting of these seeds took place on plots located in what is now Central Avenue and the Street - there is currently a plaque commemorating this historic event - belonging to the priest Félix Valverde, who cultivated it in 1809 and also distributed seeds among his neighbors to join in planting at their homes. It is recorded that on October 12, 1820, a ship named Nuestra Señora departed for Perico, in Panama, with what was the first quintal of "Costa Rican Coffee." The appearance of coffee meant one of the most important events in the country's history for its economy since before its arrival Costa Rica was a nation mired in poverty.
For this reason, hand in hand with Mariano Montealegre, coffee cultivation was promoted in the decades of 1830 - 1840, generating in this activity an economic engine that allowed for great development. This event was accompanied by the Heads of State Juan Mora Fernández and Braulio Carrillo, who quickly understood the importance this would represent for the society's growth. In 1832, the first export to Chile was made - a place where European merchants used to buy from - where Mr. Jorge Stiepel, a known German merchant residing in Costa Rica, resold it in London under the name Chilean Coffee from Valparaíso. From then on, the fame began to grow until Captain William Le Lacheur managed to activate direct trade with English ports and traveled from Puntarenas to London with a shipment of 5,500 quintals of Costa Rican coffee, a situation that facilitated its subsequent entry into the French market - through Hippolyte Tournón.
It was decreed, international success was a reality, and the country's modernization was advancing in all aspects: new roads and railway routes, postal services, construction of the first University, creation of the first national press, currency issuance, construction of the National Theater, and numerous works that urbanistically developed cities. Between the years 1846 and 1890, coffee was a monoculture, that is, it was the only thing grown and exported throughout the country. In those early years, coffee growers dried it in their own yards, husked the beans with a mortar and stored it for personal consumption. The government encouraged its production by granting seeds for free with land titles to anyone who wanted to work in the production of this unstoppable success. With the growth of exports, the processing and production techniques improved considerably. In 1830, Buenaventura Espinach built a paved patio and the first wet mill was built. It was located south of Cartago, on the El Molino estate.
Today, coffee in Costa Rica is still completely cultivated by hand, and the experience of so many years of production has managed to refine the quality. With constant support from universities and educational centers, it has contributed to maintaining the product's prestige and unique characteristics, making it a hallmark for the country.
