What's the Difference Between Natural and Pulped Natural Coffee? What Does Natural Coffee Taste Like?

Understanding Coffee Processing Methods

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In recent years, single-origin coffee has become increasingly popular, with more people brewing coffee at home. When selecting and purchasing coffee beans, you often encounter confusing terms on packaging such as washed process, natural process, and honey process. What exactly are these different processing methods? And how do they affect the flavor of coffee?

What is a "Coffee Cherry"?

First, let's introduce what a "coffee cherry" is. Coffee beans are the seeds inside the coffee fruit. Coffee trees produce coffee fruits, which turn bright red when ripe. Due to their cherry-like appearance, they are also known as "coffee cherries."

The purpose of processing coffee cherries is to remove the external structures, including the outer skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment, and silver skin. What remains after removing all these layers is the seed in the familiar coffee bean shape that we commonly see. Therefore, the natural process, washed process, and honey process seen on coffee bean packaging are actually different names derived from how the skin, pulp, and mucilage are removed.

So who decides which processing method to use for the beans? While there may be multiple considerations, the most common determining factor is the natural conditions of the producing region (such as water availability and sunlight exposure) to determine the most economically viable processing method. (Of course, some estates with sufficient resources might adjust their processing methods based on flavor preferences.)

Natural Process – The Oldest Processing Method

Widely used in regions with abundant sunlight but limited water resources and less economic prosperity (such as Ethiopia). The natural process allows coffee fruits to dry naturally, enabling coffee beans to mature naturally inside the fruit. Therefore, coffee beans processed using the natural method tend to amplify their inherent flavors, resulting in rich body, intense flavors, and vibrant sweetness and acidity.

Removing Floating Beans

To remove underdeveloped, inferior beans, coffee beans are poured into large water tanks. Mature, full fruits will sink to the bottom, while poor-quality ones will float on the surface. At this point, the floating beans on the water surface are scooped out, completing this step.

Sun Drying

Coffee fruits are spread evenly on drying patios and need to be turned several times daily. At night, they must be covered to prevent moisture absorption. This process typically lasts about 2-3 weeks (depending on local climate) and is complete when the moisture content inside the coffee beans drops to 10-14%.

Removing the Outer Shell

After sun drying is complete, the outer layer of the coffee seeds has become dry and hard. At this point, a hulling machine is used to remove the outer shell, completing the process.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages: Except for the step of removing floating beans, the natural process doesn't require water, and one bucket of water can be reused multiple times, making it cost-effective.

Disadvantages: Since coffee beans must be placed outdoors, there are often impurities such as dead leaves and twigs mixed in. Additionally, because it relies on solar energy, the drying degree of coffee beans is difficult to control, leading to "over-drying" situations that can damage the beans. Furthermore, since the entire fruit is exposed to sun drying, mold and rot often occur.

Honey Process – The Trendiest Processing Method

The honey process, also known as semi-natural process, is an improved version of the natural process. The flavor of honey-processed coffee is influenced more delicately and deeply by the sugar content remaining in the mucilage layer. The more mucilage retained, the more intense the flavor.

Removing Floating Beans (Same as Natural Process)

Coffee beans are poured into large water tanks. Underdeveloped, inferior beans will float on the surface, while mature, full fruits will sink to the bottom. At this point, the floating beans on the water surface are scooped out, completing the removal of floating beans.

Removing Skin and Pulp

Using a pulping machine, the outer skin and pulp of the coffee fruit are removed. (This leaves the mucilage, parchment, and silver skin.)

Unlike the washed process, coffee farmers can choose how much mucilage layer to retain, which is divided into yellow honey, red honey, and black honey processing.

Yellow Honey – (Retaining 30-40% of the mucilage layer) To speed up drying time, it must be done in an environment with minimal shading (clouds, shade trees), resulting in a yellow appearance.

Red Honey – (Retaining 50-60% of the mucilage layer) Takes longer time and requires partial artificial shading to reduce drying intensity and extend drying time.

Black Honey – (Retaining 70-80% of the mucilage layer) Takes the longest time, usually requiring complete artificial coverage to reduce drying intensity and extend drying time.

There are also White Honey (10-15%) and Gold Honey (90-100%). The more mucilage retained, the sweeter and thicker the mouthfeel. However, sun drying is still required to dry the mucilage-covered coffee beans by spreading them directly on drying patios until moisture content drops to 10-14%.

Removing Mucilage and Parchment

Using special machinery, the mucilage and parchment are removed, completing the processing steps.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages: Since the pulp is removed at the beginning, there are no mold issues. It also doesn't require large amounts of fresh water, making it relatively low-cost.

Disadvantages: The processing steps can be said to be the most complex and labor-intensive among all methods.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-over Brewing Recommendations:

Xiaofuji 3.5 V60 dripper, water temperature 89°C, ratio 1:15, total time two minutes.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473