This program, Coffee: From Bean to Cup! , taught me many things about coffee. I learned the coffee production process in Costa Rica. From the very first step of farming coffee plants to coffee harvesting, coffee processing, coffee roasting and coffee sensory evaluation, this program gave me interesting and practical knowledge of coffee. I tried several types of brewing coffee. With different brewing methods, the flavor and the taste are completely different. Some methods will highlight the acidity, others will make the coffee body watery. Although some coffee tasted so bitter or astringent to me, I am able to appreciate the differences of every coffee. I used to spend at least ten minutes thinking what kind of coffee I want to get when I entered a coffee shop, but not anymore. I really appreciate those who grow our food. The farming work was hard labor and the profit wasn’t that great in comparison with the retail. A cajuela of coffee cherries can make several cups of coffee and it could be worthy of four dollars at the beginning, but at the end, a cup of coffee could be worthy of four or five dollars.

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Everything seems so unreal when coming back to Athens. The life in the UGA ecolodgy was amazing. In the ecolodgy, taking a ten minutes break is like staying at a resort. I learned new things every day. The food there is unforgettable. They served rice and beans every meal. One morning, they served rice and beans with pancakes and syrup there, but it was actually good. I already miss their hot chocolate mixed with Costa Rica coffee after the dinner. It was so good. I bought the Lizano Salsa to make my salad when I come back to the U.S. I made new friends. Our group got excited and shouted out “cajuela“ whenever we saw a one or heard the name. I cannot wait to meet them again in Athens.

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