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What brand or type of coffee?


mamacat3
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  • 2 months later...
Is there a brand or type of coffee that is better to buy and bring back to the states?

 

CONVIDA is arguably the best coffee available, even edging out Juan Valdez; but it is not as readily available. You have to go to "Coffee And" at Pierino Gallo Plaza, the shopping stop in the New City.

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  • 2 weeks later...
:confused::confused: COLUMBIA or COSTA RICA ?

 

 

We will be stopping both countries next week!

 

Thanks

 

UB:D

 

In Costa Rica Cafe Britt is popular; I bought some and it is very good.

 

In Colombia I went with Sello Rojo (recommended by my Colombian grandmother). Just had a cup of that this morning!

 

Have a nice cruise.

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If you get out to Pierino Gallo Plaza in Cartagena you can find CONVIDA coffee in various (Colombian) regions and roasts, either beans or ground. Argueably the very best coffee available in Cartagena. Lesser brands are available there as well.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

It is sad to say this but the best Colombian coffee is in America and not in Colombia. You may occasionally find "export grade" coffee in Colombia, such as Juan Valdez, but in my opinion since you are already in Colombia, why not get what the locals drink? I also recommend Cafe Sello Rojo (it's a red bag with yellow stripes, if I remember correctly) it's what I always had when I lived in Colombia. I don't think Cafe Sello Rojo is export grade, but I think it is pretty tasty! Also, if you have a chance have a coffee prepared the old fashioned way in Colombia. In america people use coffee machines or french press or some of these methods, but when my grandma made coffee it was different: she had a pot that was only used to make coffee and the coffee sort of burned at the bottom of the pot and that built up with time more and more and believe me it gives your coffee a different, more rich kind of taste when prepared this way. If you ask for coffee at a restaurant this probably not how they will prepare it, but if you are say, sitting at the beach and it's just locals taking care of you, not some fancy resort or whatever (and you'll know it's the locals because they most likely will be living or working in shacks) ask them for a cup of coffee, they will probably make it the old school way.

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If you are stopping in Cristobal there is only one store that sells coffee, Caribe something or other, and they sell Palo Alto which is from Chiriqui, Panama and is very good. On the Panama Canal Railroad they sell a coffee from Boquete which is excellent. At Puerto Limon there will be lots of people selling coffee in the flea market at the end of the pier. Cafe Britt is excellent and a lot of the cruise lines have a deal with the shopping ambassador where you can buy Cafe Britt and have it shipped to your home in the US or Canada for only $7.45 for 10 oz bag -- you have to order 10 bags however - which is a very good price. The best coffee in Panama is from Boquete. The best coffee in Costa Rica is from Tarazzu. With both it is high altitude, shade grown, Arabica beans.

 

Over on the Pacific side of Costa Rica there is an old gringo, like me, who buys Tarazzu beans, roasts them the day before the ship comes in, and then sells them in the flea market at Punta Arenas under the name "Shade Lady." [it's "Shade Lady" not "Shady Lady"!] Even though we grow coffee, my wife always asks me to bring some home. Coffee, like wine, has different nuances of flavor depending on where it is grown.

 

Buy beans, not ground. Roasted beans have about a year shelf live. Ground coffee has about a 3-4 month shelf life. We sell the coffee I grow to a big wholesaler who sells around the world, including Starbucks - so every billionth bean in your cup may be mine! - so it's not available. But if you want to know more about growing coffee check out http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/jaguar-java-coffee/

 

Regards, Richard

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  • 2 months later...

Upstairs at Pierino Gallo is "Coffee And". The proprietor is Louis Romano, who speaks fluent English. He carries an brand called CONVIDA that has different regional fine Colombian coffees done in different roasts. This is the coffee for coffee fanatics. He also carries less expensive 'local' or 'grocery store' brands, so if you finally decide not to get the premium coffee you have the other choices as well. But that Convida is worth waiting for, ie. not buying 'grocery store' coffee from some guy dressed up as Juan V. on the way to Pierino Gallo Plaza.

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  • 8 years later...
  • 1 month later...

In the Old Walled City in Columbia there is a fellow that has a red wagon serving coffees. It was the best coffee we had ever tasted. He has his own small coffee farm and brings the beans, roasts them and makes your coffee right there. SO GOOD!!!!! We bought a bag from him to bring home and have really enjoyed it.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
If you are stopping in Cristobal there is only one store that sells coffee, Caribe something or other, and they sell Palo Alto which is from Chiriqui, Panama and is very good. On the Panama Canal Railroad they sell a coffee from Boquete which is excellent. At Puerto Limon there will be lots of people selling coffee in the flea market at the end of the pier. Cafe Britt is excellent and a lot of the cruise lines have a deal with the shopping ambassador where you can buy Cafe Britt and have it shipped to your home in the US or Canada for only $7.45 for 10 oz bag -- you have to order 10 bags however - which is a very good price. The best coffee in Panama is from Boquete. The best coffee in Costa Rica is from Tarazzu. With both it is high altitude, shade grown, Arabica beans.

 

Over on the Pacific side of Costa Rica there is an old gringo, like me, who buys Tarazzu beans, roasts them the day before the ship comes in, and then sells them in the flea market at Punta Arenas under the name "Shade Lady." [it's "Shade Lady" not "Shady Lady"!] Even though we grow coffee, my wife always asks me to bring some home. Coffee, like wine, has different nuances of flavor depending on where it is grown.

 

Buy beans, not ground. Roasted beans have about a year shelf live. Ground coffee has about a 3-4 month shelf life. We sell the coffee I grow to a big wholesaler who sells around the world, including Starbucks - so every billionth bean in your cup may be mine! - so it's not available. But if you want to know more about growing coffee check out http://richarddetrich.wordpress.com/jaguar-java-coffee/

 

Regards, Richard

 

Unfortunately the last time we cruised the PC, it was at the holidays so I bought a LOT of coffee to bring home as Christmas gifts. I paid to have it shipped home and it never arrived. I wrote letter after letter, even went through Celebrity Cruise Line for assistance, sent letter to the Costa Rican govt, etc. NEVER received my coffee. We are hoping to go back to the same place with all of our letters we have sent;; returned mail, etc and hopefully get the coffee...LOL. Oh, well, lesson learned. We will never ship from another country again. If we can't pack it, we won't buy it.

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