What are the characteristics of Costa Rican Yellow Honey? Introduction to Costa Rican Black Honey characteristics

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FrontStreet Coffee Introduces: Costa Rican Yellow Honey and Black Honey Process

What is Honey Processing?

Coffee beans are actually the seeds of coffee cherries. The coffee beverage you love is made from the seeds of these red or yellow fruits.

However, before coffee beans are roasted, the outer layers including the pulp and skin must be removed, and then the beans are dried to a moisture content of about 11%. The two most common coffee processing methods are washed and natural. The washed method involves soaking coffee cherries in water and rinsing away the pulp and skin with water. The natural method involves drying coffee cherries in the sun, then using machines to remove the pulp and skin.

The honey processing method combines these two approaches. The skin is first removed, while preserving some of the mucilage around the bean for drying.

Why is this processing method called honey processing?

Mucilage is a sticky substance in coffee cherries that is rich in sugars, similar to honey. Honey-processed coffee beans are also known for their rich sweetness, just as their name suggests.

What are the differences between yellow honey, red honey, and black honey processing methods?

Honey processing is divided into many different types. Although detailed classifications are rarely specified on roasted coffee packaging, growers and green coffee traders make more detailed distinctions: white honey, yellow honey, golden honey, red honey, and black honey.

Simply put, white honey and yellow honey processing retain less mucilage after washing. Golden honey, red honey, and black honey retain more mucilage, which gives the coffee better body.

The honey processing process is influenced by various factors such as temperature and humidity, and there are no precise regulations for the processing method. Honey processing can only be generally explained from the following aspects.

White Honey and Yellow Honey

White honey: Coffee cherries are first mechanically washed, retaining very little mucilage.

Yellow honey: Generally semi-washed, retaining a slightly higher proportion of mucilage than white honey.

Although the same processing method may have different specific operations on different farms, the unified naming system of white honey and yellow honey helps avoid communication barriers and facilitates better coffee trading.

White honey processing is unique and complex.

Golden Honey, Red Honey, and Black Honey

The main differences between golden honey, red honey, and black honey lie in light exposure and drying duration.

Black honey processing requires higher environmental humidity and longer fermentation time.

Red honey has slightly lower humidity requirements, while golden honey requires even less.

Golden honey processing allows coffee beans to dry in a warm environment with ample sunlight and low humidity, ensuring a shorter drying time. Red honey needs to be dried in a shaded environment with a slightly longer drying time. Black honey requires drying in an even cooler place with an even longer duration.

Black honey processed coffee has better body, richer flavors, and higher prices.

Why pursue deeper honey processing?

The deeper the honey processing, the more complex it becomes. Black honey processing requires stricter monitoring to avoid over-fermentation. The shelf life of green beans is also somewhat shorter. If you want to better experience the sweet honey flavors, you should roast the green beans as soon as possible.

Since black honey processing is so complex, why do we still do it?

Because the deeper the honey processing, the more suitable it is for espresso. When tasted, it's as if someone has added a spoonful of honey to your coffee. However, if using pour-over methods, white honey or yellow honey coffee will taste cleaner in flavor.

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