The Difference Between Anaerobic Special Process Coffee and Flavored Coffee - Is Anaerobic Coffee Flavor-Enhanced Beans and Does It Harm Health?

A few years ago, when we drank coffee, we were particular about the origin, variety, and of course, the processing method. After all, we could genuinely distinguish that coffee processed with the natural method tasted different from that processed with the washed method.

I don't know when it started, but the words describing processing methods on labels became increasingly lengthy, as if every detailed processing step needed to be displayed on the label. The most evident manifestation of this trend is the various special processing methods centered around anaerobic fermentation.

The Rise of Anaerobic Processing

What first appeared were various anaerobic processing techniques. Theoretically, anaerobic processing is divided into anaerobic natural and anaerobic washed methods, with the difference being the addition of an anaerobic fermentation step to the natural (washed) process. Anaerobic natural processing involves anaerobic fermentation first, followed by natural drying, while anaerobic washed processing involves washing first, then anaerobic fermentation, and finally drying.

Of course, with conventional natural and washed processing, the workflow is similar for everyone, as there are too few human-controllable factors—it basically depends on the weather. Some places with longer sunshine hours require shorter drying times, while places with shorter sunshine periods need longer drying times.

However, when it comes to the anaerobic process, human factors increase significantly. Moreover, anaerobic processing is something for the wealthy. You rarely see farmers from a certain village producing a batch of anaerobic processed coffee beans. Almost always, it's done by wealthy estates. Anaerobic processing consumes money, time, and knowledge, so it was first pioneered by estates in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama. This also gave rise to estates that specialize in unique processing methods as their selling point, such as 90+, Palmas y Bucaneros, and Finca El Paraiso.

The Flavor Question and Processing Transparency

Here, I must add that many customers who come to FrontStreet Coffee and taste anaerobically processed coffee beans exclaim in wonder, asking if FrontStreet Coffee adds "something" during roasting that makes the flavor so special. I need to clarify here: these special flavors are created during coffee processing, not by adding "something" during roasting.

Furthermore, because each estate has "its own ideas" about anaerobic processing, to make it easier for everyone to understand how thoughtful and distinctive the estate owner's processing is, it must be reflected in the name of the processing method. (Anaerobic processing is an oxygen-free fermentation process that involves controlling parameters such as time, medium, temperature, and pressure.)

Therefore, we commonly see processing methods on the market described in great detail, such as:

(Various types of alcohol) Oak barrel fermented washed processing "Using different oak wine barrels to ferment coffee beans, naturally resulting in different flavor expressions, such as sherry whiskey barrels, rum barrels"

(Various fruits) Yeast anaerobic processing "Adding yeast to assist fermentation, helping the coffee develop flavors desired by the processor, such as adding lactic acid bacteria, specific yeasts"

Various unique anaerobic processing methods "Such as ASD anaerobic slow natural, double anaerobic washed, carbonic maceration, low-temperature slow anaerobic honey processing"

With so many types of anaerobic processed coffees, many flavors emerge that don't exist in traditional processing methods. These flavors have such high recognition that it feels less like drinking coffee and more like tasting fruits or wines themselves. This is why the term "flavored coffee" has attracted everyone's attention.

Defining Flavored Coffee

The definition of "flavored coffee" is rather vague. Perhaps we can refer to Sasa's views on this type of coffee. He is the coffee master who first used anaerobic coffee to win the world championship. His perspective is that these coffees deserve recognition when their processing information and additives are clearly disclosed. Although major coffee competitions like COE, BOP, WBC, and WBrC now consider these beans to have an unfair advantage and prohibit them from participating.

He also clearly stated that in experiments in Nicaragua, flavor-poor varieties and low-altitude coffee beans did indeed improve their flavor performance through carbonic maceration processing (which is also why green bean competitions prohibit such coffee beans from participating).

Sasa, in discussions with various industry experts, attempted to help everyone distinguish flavored coffee. When substances added during processing are ultimately reflected in the coffee's flavor, it is considered flavored coffee. Simply put, if flavor extracts or flavorings are added during processing to make the coffee taste that way, or if things like fruits, flowers, or alcoholic beverages are added during processing, roasting, or brewing, and the final taste reveals the flavor of the additives, it is all considered flavored coffee.

However, adding enzymes as fermentation catalysts, or adding yeast, probiotics, and similar substances to participate in fermentation, where the final coffee doesn't have the taste of additives but rather flavors produced through the fermentation process, would not be considered flavored coffee.

"Note: Enzymes are essentially proteins, while yeast is a type of fungus belonging to single-celled microorganisms with cellular structures."

Sasa also specifically addressed whether adding fruits during fermentation constitutes flavored coffee. His original statement was:

"In fermentation, producers sometimes add fruit to support enzymatic reaction. Fruit can also be added to support fermentation with yeast, bacteria, and sugars.

If, at the end of fermentation, we cannot find any remains of the fruit left in the final product (green beans), it can be considering a processing aid and does not need to be declared unless it is an allergen.

For example, if we add pineapple in fermentation, it adds new microbes and sugars, which are used during the fermentation process. By the time it's completed, the pineapple will be consumed and will no longer be present.

This leads to the formation of different aroma compounds that wouldn't be present without the pineapple, but because there is no pineapple itself present in the final product, it is a processing aid; not an infusion."

The general meaning is that if added fruits are for enzymatic reactions and participate in fermentation, and ultimately no remnants of these fruits remain on the green beans, the added fruits are considered catalysts rather than flavorings.

Of course, this is just a perspective derived from Sasa's discussions with some people, which everyone can reference. But regardless of whether flavored coffee is accepted by the market, FrontStreet Coffee strongly agrees with one of Sasa's viewpoints: transparency in coffee processing information. This aligns with the concept of traceability in single-origin coffee. As long as end consumers clearly, transparently, and authentically understand how their coffee was grown and processed, the ultimate choice still lies with the consumer.

Perhaps the gradual lengthening of processing method names is a good beginning.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473