When I go to Panama will I be able to find a coffee berry?

Question

One of my life goals is to eat the actual berry that the coffee seed comes in. Are there coffee berries in Panama? Do they sell them like other things?

Answer 1

Sure you can. However I think it's safe to say that it's going to be very hard to find coffee berries in Panama City. The best bet would be for you to go to Boquete, where most of the coffee farms are. Besides the town is beautiful and it's the new destination for baby boomers looking to relocate abroad.

Answer 2

Coffee grows in mountainous areas, for the cooler temp.In the fall months the berries grow. They are first green, then turn red when they are ripe. The pickers strap a large basket around their waists and collect only the red berries. Now the process gets complicated. If you peel off the red skin you will have 2 coffee beans. They are covered in a whiteish fuzzish material. If you put this in your mouth it amazingly is sweet. Now these beans are washed for a long time to eleminate the filmy material, and is stinks during the washing process. Next the beans have to be dried. We did some just for fun and sent the bulk to the coop to sell. Anyway this all happens in the rainy season, so drying it all is a pain. Spread the beans on a tarp while the sun is shining and bring it in when the rain comes. Tomorrow put it out again, and again , and again till it's all dry. Now the bean has another whitish hard shell feels sort of like plastic. In a special , well it looks like a hand meat grinder, but has a special plate in the front. It's best if you warm the beans in a large wok first, then put them in the grinder. The handle only turns 2 times to the right, then 2 times to the left.. This knocks off the hard shell. Now you roast the beans (again we did it in the large wok), grind the roasted beans and woo hoo now you can make a cup of coffee.
But back to your question, it depends what time of year you will be visiting Panama. If you come at the right time of year, you need only to ask around and someone will gladly show you the coffee plants. Panamians enjoy showing off their country and sharing their knowledge.