Costa Rican Culture

Costa Rican Coffee

Coffee is the best shopping deal in all of Costa Rica. Although the best Costa Rican coffee is supposedly shipped off to North American and European markets, it's hard to beat the coffee that's roasted right in front of you here. Best of all is the price: One pound of coffee sells for around $3. It makes a great gift and truly is a local product. Be sure to ask for whole beans- Costa Rican grinds are often too fine for standard coffee filters. The store will pack the beans for you in whatever size bag you want. If you buy prepackaged coffee in a supermarket in Costa Rica, the whole beans will be marked either grano (grain) or grano entero (whole bean). If you opt for ground varieties (molido), be sure the package is marked puro; otherwise, it will likely be mixed with a good amount of sugar (the way Ticos like it).