Something's Brewing: The Increasing Appeal of Costa Rica Peaberry Coffee

A normal coffee bean is usually made up of two halves or seeds that are formed in a coffee cherry that grows and ripens in the normal manner. In a very small number of instances though, only one of the seeds is fertilized and grows to maturity. The coffee bean that is produced is known as a peaberry coffee bean and accounts for only 3-5% of the entire coffee bean harvest from a single plantation.

Peaberry coffee beans, or peaberries, are much smaller compared to regular coffee beans even though they grow to fill the whole coffee cherry pod. Peaberries are small and round, thus giving rise to its descriptive name. Incredibly enough, peaberries were once discarded without a second thought when they were harvested. This was due to the misperception that they were vastly inferior coffee beans and completely unfit for consumption.

Somewhere along the way though, it was discovered that these coffee beans actually punch far above their weight compared to regular coffee beans when it comes to things like flavour and acidity. Indeed, it has been suggested that all the flavor and brightness of the coffee cherry becomes highly concentrated in that solitary bean when a peaberry is formed.

The appearance of peaberries has been hailed as a boon to coffee-growing nations. The Central American country of Costa Rica is no exception. Coffee gourmets the world over consider the more robust flavor of Costa Rica peaberry coffee to be an incredible intensification of coffee that is already well known for its smooth flavor and distinctive aroma. The fertile volcanic soil and mild climate of the small country has been credited with giving the peaberries their medley of bright flavors, sometimes described as a surprising, zesty and citrusy symphony of tastes.

While the belief that peaberries are an aphrodisiac may be questionable, the clean-tasting coffee that is produced certainly does a fantastic job of providing a burst of energy to save you from a mid-morning slump. Premium Costa Rica peaberry coffee is best enjoyed as a medium roast, which draws out its distinctive nutty-chocolaty flavor to delicious perfection.

With peaberry beans being as precious as they are, it pays to take special care of them to ensure an enjoyable cup of coffee at all times. Whole coffee beans should be stored away from light, heat and moisture and in airtight opaque containers. The coffee beans should be ground only when you intend to use them immediately. Grinding them long before you use them compromises the flavor for which you paid so much to obtain. Maintain the quality of your drink by using only pure, filtered tap water to brew a cup of Costa Rica peaberry coffee.