October 12th, 2008
History of Gourmet Coffee (Costa Rica)
The history of gourmet coffee in Costa Rica and its relationship to Costa Rica and their free school system.
The likely date of the arrival of coffee to America is 1720 when they brought the first seeds, Arabica Coffea species (Typical variety), to Martinique in the Antilles. From there originated the berry that was sowed in Costa Rica in the beginning of the 18th century.
Prominent Costa Ricans contributed to the development of coffee, and the first to cultivate it was the priest Félix Velarde, who, in 1816, made reference to having a plot of land cultivated with the beans. Don Mariano Montealegre was the crop’s main promoter during the decade from 1830 ? 1840.