FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Natural Process Coffee

Natural processing is one of the most "simple and straightforward" coffee processing methods. The whole process boils down to three steps: picking, drying, and hulling. We say "one of" because Colombia and Rwanda have a method called semi-washed processing that treats beans with maximum efficiency (more on that when we cover washed processing).

The Complexity Behind Simplicity

Still, calling natural processing simplistic isn't entirely fair. For high-quality natural coffee, the work begins at picking: cherries are sorted and selected in water tanks to remove unripe fruit before drying starts.

And the weather over the twenty-plus days of drying can transform the cup. Natural processing depends heavily on conditions—and coffee is the crop farming families live on—so the grower is entirely at the mercy of nature's favor.

Natural processing is among the most primitive methods, handed down since commercial coffee cultivation began, and what looks simple on paper involves countless variables.

Factors Affecting Natural Process Coffee Quality

In principle, natural processing needs only stable, direct sunlight. But conditions in many producing countries fall short of ideal, and farmers often have no choice but to dry coffee on the ground—letting the beans absorb earthy, even onion-like flavors. That is why naturally processed beans long carried a poor reputation.

As natural processing gained popularity, origins invested in African raised beds for drying or built concrete patios to shield the beans from unfavorable environments. As a result, the flavor quality of natural coffee has improved enormously in recent years.

Flavor Profile of Natural Process Coffee

Because natural processing keeps the pulp and skin on during fermentation, the coffee gains charming wine-like aromas and fruit flavors, along with excellent sweetness and complex aromatics.

What many enthusiasts love most is the perfume: natural coffee wins people over from the dry aroma alone. A good natural lot offers enchanting flavor, explosive aromatics, and high sweetness—a coffee experience unlike any other.

Coffee Knowledge: Ethiopia's Coffee Heritage

Knowledge point: Ethiopia holds a pioneering place in the coffee world as the birthplace of Arabica, and it is currently Africa's largest Arabica producer. Ethiopia's Kaffa Forest is famed as the "coffee gene pool."

FrontStreet Coffee's Philosophy

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a research-oriented coffee house dedicated to sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. We also hold three discount coffee events each month, because letting more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible prices has been our principle for the past 6 years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Colombia Huila Washed

Colombian coffee covers every need—espresso blends, pour-over single origins, fruity-acidic styles, full-bodied styles, and perfume-led styles. Huila, in the southern Central Andes, is the country's most famous specialty region: hill country planted above 1,500 meters where Colombia's most important rivers converge, bringing rich water resources. FrontStreet's washed Huila is roasted medium-dark to bring out black chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate crema, and a full body—great for pour-over and French press, and equally capable of moka pot and espresso, making Americano or latte with ease.

FrontStreet Colombia Finca La Divisa Sidra - Anaerobic Natural

Colombia once processed almost everything washed, but innovative methods have surged in recent years. Anaerobic fermentation—a genuinely new taste experience, sometimes called carbonic maceration—is fermentation in a low- or zero-oxygen environment, typically in a pressurized stainless steel tank where temperature, time, pH, and other variables are controlled. Its two best-known forms are anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed. FrontStreet's Sidra coffee is anaerobic natural: after oxygen-free fermentation the coffee develops more tropical-fruit aromas, and at a medium-light roast—pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot—it offers complex, intense flavors of passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit.

FrontStreet Specialty Espresso Blend

For home espresso machines and moka pots, baristas strongly recommend FrontStreet's Specialty Blend—an espresso recipe designed for cafés, combining Brazil's creamy nut aromas with Colombia's dark-chocolate sweetness and gentle bitterness. Extraction shows a fine golden crema, and with milk it makes a rich, silky latte. Beginner-friendly, it also forms a solid base for Americano, cappuccino, mocha, and other classic espresso drinks.