Ingredients
Coffee
- 30 gTarrazú arabica beans, whole, freshly roasted
Water
- 500 mlfiltered water, at 92 to 96°C
Equipment
- a burr grinder
- a chorreador, the Costa Rican cloth filter stand
- or a pour-over cone
- scales
To serve
- black, or with hot milk
- with tapa de dulce, if you like it sweet
Directions
- Grind immediately before brewing, every time. Use a burr grinder rather than a blade one. Grind to a medium consistency, roughly like coarse sand, for a pour-over.
- Use filtered water rather than heavily chlorinated tap water. Heat it to between 92 and 96°C. Never use boiling water.
- Use about 60 g of coffee per litre of water, which is roughly 30 g for two cups.
- Rinse the cloth with hot water first, both to warm it and to remove any residue. Put the grounds in the sock and pour a little hot water over to wet them.
- Pour slowly and steadily rather than dumping it in, so the water passes evenly through all the grounds. The whole brew should take about three to four minutes.
- Rinse the bolsita in plain hot water after every use and never use soap. Store it in the fridge in water, or dry it thoroughly.
- Serve it black to taste it properly, or with hot milk as café con leche. The harvest runs from November to March and much of the picking in Los Santos is done by seasonal workers from Panama and Nicaragua.
Technique
- Costa Rica’s robusta ban ran from 1989 and was only relaxed in recent years.
- The chorreador is the traditional Costa Rican brewing stand.
- Tarrazú, Dota and Tres Ríos are among the best known Costa Rican growing regions.
Substitutions
- A paper pour-over cone in place of a chorreador.
- Any high-grown Central American arabica.
Variations
- Served as café con leche.
- Sweetened with tapa de dulce.
- Brewed in a French press, which gives more body.
History
Grown above 1,200 metres south of San Jose; Costa Rica barred robusta planting from 1989 to protect the quality of its arabica exports.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tarrazú coffee?
Tarrazú coffee is a drink from Costa Rica: bright high-altitude arabica from the Los Santos mountains. Grown above 1,200 metres south of San Jose; Costa Rica barred robusta planting from 1989 to protect the quality of its arabica exports.
How long does Tarrazú coffee take to make?
Tarrazú coffee takes 5 min of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes 2 cups. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Tarrazú coffee?
Yes, within limits. A paper pour-over cone in place of a chorreador. Any high-grown Central American arabica.
What is the most important thing to get right in Tarrazú coffee?
Grind immediately before brewing, every time. Use a burr grinder rather than a blade one. Grind to a medium consistency, roughly like coarse sand, for a pour-over.
