Perla Negra - Francisca Cubillo, Costa Rica

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Beneficio Las Lajas ranks as one of the most progressive, high-quality coffee mills in all of Costa Rica. Francisca Cubillo and Oscar Chacón are the third generation of coffee producers in Costa Rica and the first to process their own coffee. Las Lajas is one of the few farms in Costa Rica growing Certified Organic coffee.

Las Lajas is located in Sabanilla de Alejela Costa Rica near the base of Poas Volcano. The west Central Valley is the location of some of the best coffee in Costa Rica. Francisca and Oscar Chacon are third generation coffee farmers since 1840. When Oascar’s father passed away he inherited 5 hectares at the age of 18. He and his mom kept the legacy alive. In 1997 Francisca and Oscar were married. Francisca attended University in Costa Rica for an agriculture degree in coffee. 

In 2009 a massive country-wide earthquake caused widespread power outages and destruction right at the peak of their coffee harvest. Francisca had a crazy idea to try and dry their coffee with the cherry intact since that is how they do it in parts of Africa where there isn't electricity and running water in the dry season. So they spread their coffee cherries out on patios, flat roofs and even hastily built camas africanas (african style raised beds) and dried their coffee slowly in the sun. The results were this crazy black dried cherry that they called Perla Negra. And it was amazingly delicious! And history was made in Costa Rica.

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