What does honey process mean and what variants are there?

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Honey process is a middle ground: the fruit flesh is removed, but part of the sticky mucilage layer dries on the bean. Depending on how much remains, it's called White, Yellow, Red, or Black Honey. The honey process (Spanish: miel) combines elements of washed and natural processing. After harvest, the cherry's fruit flesh is mechanically removed — just like in the washed process. But instead of dissolving the mucilage layer in fermentation tanks, it remains on the bean and dries with it. This mucilage is sticky and golden — it looks like honey, hence the name. The variants differ by how much mucilage stays on the bean. White honey retains the least (perhaps 10–20%) and dries quickly. Yellow honey sits at 20–50%. Red honey at 50–80%. Black honey retains nearly all the mucilage and dries most slowly — often 2–3 weeks, with regular turning. The more mucilage remains, the more fruit sugar can penetrate the bean, and the sweeter and more complex the coffee becomes. White honey tastes similar to a washed coffee — clear, with gentle sweetness. Black honey approaches a natural — sweet, full-bodied, with fruity notes, but without the wild fermentation flavours of a full natural. Costa Rica is the epicentre of honey processing. Local processors perfected the method in the 2000s and systematised the different gradations. Honey process is now also used in Central America, Colombia, and parts of Brazil. The advantage over washed: less water consumption. The advantage over natural: more controllable, lower risk of off-flavours. Honey process is a compromise that combines the best of both worlds. At our café on Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, the processing method is usually on the bag. If you want to understand the differences between washed, natural, and honey, compare coffees from the same origin country at home: the processing changes the flavour so drastically that they seem like three different coffees. Feel free to drop by for a coffee — Green Wall Coffee, Sophienstraße 27 in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Mon–Fri 8am–5pm and Sat 10am–5pm.

What does honey process mean and what variants are there?

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In practice at Green Wall Coffee

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