Today we toured Doka, where we were able to get an in-depth look at the coffee production process, from growing to harvesting to exporting and everything in between. We made our way through the factory as the tour guide explained and showed all of the equipment used. We also got to start the tour with a delicious mocha and ended it with samples of several different types of coffee and different flavors of chocolate covered espresso beans. I already had a cup of coffee with breakfast at my Mama Tica’s house, but that didn’t stop me from getting seconds or even thirds of each coffee sample- the potential caffeine-induced jitters were 100% worth the risk.
The delicous mocha that I have not stopped thinking about all day
I love being able to learn how things work behind the scenes, so this tour was very interesting to me. I feel like people often take parts their daily life for granted, forgetting that even the things that seem so simple require an intricate process of production. This is especially true for coffee, as there are so many different steps involved in this process. Each bean is sorted by ripeness, density, quality, size, and desired roasting level. Each classification has its own unique process of steps, so by the end there is an incredibly large level of possibilities for where a coffee bean could end up.
The many layers of a coffee bean as well as a few of the several end products
In addition to the amount of steps involved in this process, I was also very surprised by the equipment. They have been using the same equipment and process for over 100 years. There must be some truth to the saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, because even though it is quite old, this process works rather well. Costa Ricans pride themselves on having some of the highest quality coffee around, so therefore this process must be ideal.
The fermentation tank, which is the third station of the process
Overall, I would say that Costa Rican coffee lived up to the high expectations. Unlike the quality testers who taste hundreds of coffees each day to evaluate their quality, I am no coffee expert so I didn’t notice a huge difference in the coffee. However, I did really enjoy it and I really liked how each roast had its own unique taste. Regardless of the taste, it is clear that these people truly are passionate about creating a product of the highest quality, and that fact alone sets their product above and beyond.