Today's morning itinerary was a rather unusual one. A deep dive in a Costa Rican coffee plantation and production estate: Hacienda Real.
All of those morning coffees we enjoy back at home in our slick Nespresso machine never really posed many questions before in my life. Stick the capsule in the machine. Press the button. Add sugar (as you wish). Coffee served...
Not quite I now know. The best and most interest comes well before all of that.
Coffee comes from a plant just like these ones.. those green/red things are indeed coffee beans!! They are like gold... at least the good ones and most precious varieties.. a bit like the good grapes stood to precious wines in Burgundy!
One they are picked and their skins are removed you end up with "naked" coffee beans just like this...
... which are then put down to dry in natural ways (simply lied down on the floor) or more using more ingenious and costly (but more efficient) techniques....
... and then a time comes when the coffee is ready to be tasted carefully in the "American" coffee style, no espresso style my dear European friends. Grind the coffee & add water and the coffee experts can tell by inhaling the smell whether this is a "grand cru" or not which then in turn defines who those coffee beans go out to and at what price!
Here is Mamma having a go!!
Pretty fascinating stuff don't you think? All those slick nespresso capsules and coffees served in cafes and restaurants worldwide are sourced thanks to beans grown and processed in the middle of nowhere.. in fact right here!!
