Coffee

Before our study abroad semester began, several people that I spoke with about my upcoming trip mentioned how good the coffee was in Costa Rica. One of the first questions that my Tico parents asked me after picking me up was if I liked coffee. This combined with the history of coffee in Costa Rica has given me some definite reassurance that coffee is important in Costa Rica. When I sat down to ask my Tico parents tonight on why it was so important they basically said that coffee was important because it was a big part of the economy and it represented money. I tried (language barrier) to then ask if it was important because it had a long history in the country, and they replied that yes, this was true and because of its history it is now a part of the culture and part of its national identity. When I asked how coffee was connected to politics in Costa Rica, they were confused. They started talking about how families send sons to study in Europe. I am not sure exactly how that ties in, but I do know that coffee is exported from Costa Rica, which could affect the political relationships between them and other countries. As mentioned before, the export of coffee boosts the economy, so obviously Costa Rica is somewhat dependent on a good coffee crop every year.

            The main places really that I have seen coffee being served outside of the house here are Kaldi and McDonalds. Kaldi is close to our houses, so we have gone over there a few times to do schoolwork, or to just talk. The atmosphere is intimate and everyone there lingers over his or her coffee and you can tell that they are there to socialize, not just have a quick coffee. The McDonalds in San Jose has a separate counter where you can order coffee, specialty drinks, or pastries. I thought this was really interesting because I haven’t seen a separate section dedicated to coffee in a McDonalds in the States, but maybe they are like this in bigger cities. I didn’t have my camera, or I would’ve taken pictures, but basically people would go in and get a coffee and sit for a while with friends, or they would get one to go from here and leave the restaurant. This is similar to what would happen in the U.S. As far as a large generalization of the “public” coffee culture in Costa Rica compared to the United States, it seems that Costa Ricans are much more focused on the quality of the coffee as well as the social atmosphere that the act of having coffee together provides, while in the United States coffee is seen more as a energizer and a necessity. Coffee is important in the history and economy of Costa Rica, and has accordingly become a vital part of the culture.