FrontStreet Coffee's Introduction to Costa Rican Honey Process

Costa Rica is a world-renowned coffee-producing country in Latin America. Coffee is the country's primary agricultural product and an important source of income, with yields reaching up to 1,700 kilograms per hectare and annual production exceeding 2 million bags, each weighing 60 kilograms. Coffee bean exports account for 25% of Costa Rica's total national exports, and one-third of the population is engaged in coffee-related industries, making the sector quite mature. The main producing region is Tarrazu, one of Costa Rica's important coffee-growing areas and one of the world's major coffee-growing regions.

In 1729, Costa Rica introduced coffee from Cuba and began cultivating it. The varieties grown are mainly Caturra, Catuai and others. Costa Rican national law also stipulates that only Arabica varieties may be cultivated domestically, since Arabica is higher in quality than the other main species, Robusta. Growing Robusta is illegal, which is extremely rare among coffee-growing regions worldwide and shows a strong commitment to quality.

Understanding the Honey Process

Costa Rica's processing methods also differ from those of other countries, with the honey process adopted nationwide. So what exactly is the honey process?

Coffee beans are the pits of coffee cherries. The outermost layer is the skin; beneath it lies the pulp, and then the mucilage. The mucilage is a sticky, viscous substance that tightly wraps the bean, and because of its high viscosity and sugar content it has conventionally been called "honey."

The honey process means drying the beans with the mucilage still intact under sunlight. It sits between the natural process, which dries the whole fruit, and the washed process, which uses water to remove the mucilage. It preserves some of the cleanliness of washed coffee, and while brightness may decrease, the coffee's sweetness increases.

Grades of Honey Process

Within the honey process there are different grades:

Yellow Honey Process: Retains 20%-50% of the mucilage and is dried in sunlight for approximately 8 days, until moisture content reaches a stable level.

Red Honey Process: Retains more than 50% of the mucilage, needs a longer drying time with reduced direct sun exposure, and uses shade structures. The process takes approximately two weeks.

Black Honey Process: Retains more than 80% of the mucilage and takes approximately 2-3 weeks to dehydrate. Shade structures are used to prevent the beans from drying too quickly, letting the coffee absorb more fully the sugars converted from the mucilage.

Why Honey Processing is Rare in Other Countries

Why do other countries rarely use the honey process? Beyond the fact that it is highly susceptible to contamination and mold and demands constant monitoring and turning to avoid undesirable fermentation flavors, it also depends heavily on local weather. The weather must be dry with enough sunlight; otherwise the honey process is not suitable. Costa Rica's climate features six months of rain and six months of drought, with the dry season coinciding with the coffee harvest season. That is why Costa Rican coffee farmers developed the honey process, and it is a testament to the wisdom of these hardworking producers.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste the darkest, most concentrated form of honey processing, the FrontStreet Costa Rica Blackberry uses a black honey process that removes almost no mucilage and dries for at least two weeks under cover to keep the sugars converting slowly. Light-medium roasted, it gives a rich floral aroma in the grinder and a cup of grape, berry and ripe blackberry.

For the opposite end of the scale, the FrontStreet Mozart comes from Costa Rica's honey-processing heartland and uses a raisin honey process, drying the fruit briefly before depulping and then finishing the honey steps. It pours out dried fruit, ripe pineapple and sweet orange with a distinctive osmanthus aroma, and it is excellent as a cold brew or an iced pour-over.

And if you want honey processing wrapped in a blend, the FrontStreet Strawberry Candy combines Costa Rican honey-processed coffee, which keeps 100% of the mucilage with a zero-water method, together with Panama Geisha, for floral high notes, grape and blueberry, a soft fruit acidity and an almond finish.