Why Does Costa Rica Use Honey Processing? Introduction to Honey Processed Geisha from La Labrador Estate in Tarrazú

Understanding Costa Rica's Honey Process

When it comes to Costa Rican coffee, many people immediately think of the country's characteristic honey processing. However, many are misled by the name "Honey processing," assuming it involves adding honey. In reality, this is not the case. The name comes from the fact that during honey processing, the mucilage component is retained. This mucilage contains sugar and has a sticky texture, easily reminding people of honey, hence the name "honey processing."

The Evolution of Coffee Processing in Costa Rica

The precursor to honey processing was actually Brazil's Pulped Natural method, which Brazil invented to save water and improve coffee quality. Later, Costa Rica borrowed this processing method, improved upon it to form honey processing, and popularized it. Today, it's widely used in many coffee-producing countries across the Americas.

In fact, in the early days, Costa Rica primarily used washed processing methods and was recognized as a pioneer in modernizing washing stations and wet mills. Even now, many coffee farmers choose to use washed processing, as it can maximally restore the coffee beans' original aroma and showcase their fundamental flavors. Therefore, in FrontStreet Coffee's entry-level selection series, the coffee beans from Costa Rica's Tarrazú region are processed using the washed method, featuring sweet orange and nut flavors, light and pure, with pleasant aromas, showcasing the local terroir of Costa Rica.

Challenges and Innovations

However, during the period between 1997-2000, international coffee prices were depressed. Costa Rican coffee growers needed to improve quality (and thus increase prices), so some growers stopped selling fresh coffee cherries to large processing mills and instead began researching processing methods themselves, producing and selling their own coffee. This was when Brazil's pulped natural processing was introduced.

Additionally, they developed the demucilager, which, compared to Brazil's depulper, can adjust pressure and aperture size, allowing for the retention of more or more complete mucilage layers when removing the pulp and skin.

Afterward, the coffee beans with mucilage layers are dried. During the drying process, the retained mucilage undergoes brief fermentation, which adds acidity to the coffee beans. Additionally, the sugar in the mucilage partially seeps into the beans, enhancing their sweetness. Therefore, the flavor is richer than Brazilian pulped natural processing. However, honey processing requires special care during drying because the coffee beans retain mucilage, which creates a lot of sticky liquid. They need to be constantly turned during drying to avoid mold and over-fermentation.

Later, in 2008, Costa Rica experienced a severe earthquake, resulting in water and power outages in many areas. The government also implemented various water-saving measures. Facing the dilemma of water scarcity, more growers began trying honey processing, which reduces water usage. However, some coffee farmers believed this processing method could lead to uncontrollable fermentation.

The Rise of Honey Processing

It wasn't until more and more people achieved good results after experimentation that honey processing gradually developed in Costa Rica. Through cupping, it was discovered that compared to washed processing, honey-processed coffee beans have higher sweetness, moderate acidity, and are not overly stimulating in taste.

As it developed further, honey processing was subdivided into black honey, red honey, yellow honey, and white honey based on the thickness of retained mucilage and drying duration. However, it was later discovered that when removing pulp and skin, it was difficult to precisely control the proportion of retained mucilage and challenging to alter the degree of mucilage retention.

Factors Determining Honey Color

The main factor determining the color is the sugar content in the coffee fruit. The mucilage contains large amounts of sugar, which begins to oxidize when exposed to air, gradually turning golden yellow. With the duration of fermentation, it may turn red or black. Additionally, there are secondary factors, namely the fermentation state, which depends on the turning frequency during drying, as well as weather changes and humidity factors.

FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Experience

Recently, FrontStreet Coffee acquired Geisha coffee beans from the San Isidro Labrador Estate in the Tarrazú region, processed using the honey method. Geisha itself is a coffee bean with floral and fruity acidity characteristics. Combined with the honey processing method that enhances its sweetness, FrontStreet Coffee chooses to use medium-light roasting. After brewing, it has a light floral aroma, with orange, peach, and cherry flavors upon entry, juice-like sweetness, smooth texture, and a tea-like aftertaste.

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