When talking about the characteristics and taste of coffee, they usually describe the type of bean, the region of growth, the degree of roasting and grinding, the recipe. But few people think about the fact that the taste of the finished drink largely depends on the method of processing the coffee beans: washed, dry, or honey. Each method of processing coffee beans leads to different flavors, and you need to be able to understand them if you are looking for something special. We consider the features of different technologies and their impact on the characteristics of the drink.

Dry, natural, natural process

Drying is the oldest method of processing coffee beans, which began to be used in Ethiopia and Yemen, where there are big problems with clean water for washing, but there is a lot of sun, drying the fruits and preventing them from getting moldy.

Workers pick the coffee cherries, which contain the coffee bean, and dry the crop in the sun for about a month. Large plantations usually have special drying machines, so the process is accelerated. Once the cherries have reached the right moisture content, the coffee will be processed to remove the skin and pulp. The only part of the original cherry left will be the beans.

Dried beans must be sorted manually, otherwise it is impossible to remove spoiled berries. Previously, such unsorted coffee was considered low-grade, but today many companies produce elite varieties using this method, carefully selecting whole, high-quality coffee cherries.

Shades of taste and aroma

During the drying process, the coffee beans absorb the flavors of the fruit pulp, resulting in a more intense sweetness.

• Flavor notes: strawberry, blueberry, raisin, fig;
• The aroma is slightly winey, strong, sweet.

The benefits of dry processing include sweetness, fruity tones, and low acidity. However, humid weather or insufficient mixing can still leave the beans with a slightly moldy flavor.

Washed Processing

Bean washing is the most common method of processing coffee. The technology originally developed in regions with a lot of moisture, fog, or rainfall, such as South and Central America. A processing method was needed that would protect the beans from mold, so washing was chosen. Larger farms in Latin America typically have an on-site washing station, while in Africa, small farmers typically deliver their cherries to on-site washing stations owned by cooperatives.

It all starts with soaking freshly picked cherries in water to remove the unripe fruit. Green cherries will float to the surface and are easy to pick up. The seeds are then passed through a depulper, which removes the outer skin and pulp. A small amount of pulp, called mucilage, remains on the seed.

To remove this layer, the seeds are soaked in tanks of water for 8 to 50 hours. The soaking time depends on the equipment, climate, and the grower's preference. The beans are then dried: when they reach the desired degree (about 11%), the final protective outer layer of the seed (called parchment) dries out and falls off.

Flavor and aroma shades

This method usually produces a refined and balanced coffee flavor. The best washed beans have complex notes and pronounced acidity, but still have enough sweetness.

• Taste: chocolate, lemon, hazelnut, peach, spices;
• The aroma is slightly floral, citrusy.

Honey coffee, miel

This is a relatively new way of processing coffee: in the form in which it is used today, it originated in Costa Rica about 15 years ago. However, similar approaches had occasionally been used in other parts of the world long before that. Despite the name, “honey processing” has nothing to do with actual honey. The name comes from the thin layer of mucilage that makes the beans look like they are coated in a layer of honey, “miel” in Spanish.

The process begins with picking the coffee cherries and removing the skin. However, once the skin is removed, the cherries are not washed but laid out to dry to remove the layer of pulp on the beans. Producers like to experiment by leaving different layers of cellulose on the surface of the bean.

Features of taste and aroma

The beans dry without the skin, but a layer of pulp remains and is gradually absorbed into the beans, which makes the taste sweetish and the body of the drink denser and richer.

• Flavor notes: cherry, raisin, strawberry, cane sugar;
• Aroma: dried fruits, slight sourness.

Yellow, red and black honey

Depending on how much pulp remains on the bean, the color of the beans changes as they are dried. That's why some producers name their coffee according to the color the beans acquire after drying.

• Yellow – with minimal pulp, sweetish, clean;
• Red - in which the top layer is only partially removed;
• Black – with all the pulp. It makes a particularly interesting espresso.

In recent years, the honey processing method has become extremely popular among honey snobs all over the world, as it combines the best aspects of both the washed and natural processes.

Conclusions:

1. The taste of coffee depends primarily on the processing method, and only then on the variety and roasting.
2. There are three most common methods used to process coffee: washed, dry and honey.
3. Natural drying produces a more intense sweetness, washing brings out the sour notes, and honey combines both, allowing producers to experiment with flavor.
4. The method of processing, even on a single farm, may vary depending on the weather in a particular season.