The Little-Known Coffee Process That Brings Out Sweet, Fruity Notes In Every Sip

Coffee beans go through a lot of changes before reaching your cup. The coffee-roasting process takes the original green coffee bean and transforms it into the light, medium, or dark versions made for drinking, each of which comes with its own ranges of flavor and acidity levels. However, even before the coffee is roasted, it must be processed. If you've ever had coffee with flavor notes like chocolate, fruit, or tobacco, these features are brought out by a mix of the processing method and the roast level. (This is different from flavored coffee, which is made with artificial additives or natural flavorings.) One lesser-known method that is perfect for those who enjoy a sweet and fruity flavor is honey-processing. 

There are three types of processing that coffee beans can go through — washed, semi-washed, and natural process. Honey-processed coffee (or honeyed coffee) is a semi-washed type. It involves removing the skin and fruit of the coffee cherry and leaving the mucilage — a fruity, sugar-rich layer — on during the drying stage. The mucilage is sticky and sweet, like honey, which is where the process gets its name (there is no actual honey in the coffee). Compared to the washed process, which literally washes off the sticky layer, this method uses less water. However, it does require special equipment and labor to ensure the mucilage-rich beans don't break or mold. 

While the honey-processing technique might be a more labor-intensive method, the end result is all worth it. It's the perfect type of coffee for those who enjoy sweetness rather than bitterness in their beverage. There are different levels to honey-processing depending on how much mucilage is left on, and this ranges from yellow, red, to black honey. Yellow honey has the least amount of mucilage, which makes it less sweet. Black honey has the highest amount and thus is the sweetest, and red is in between. 

Yellow honey often contains floral, honeysuckle-like notes, with hints of apricot, almond, or vanilla, but with a less intense flavor. Black honey, on the other hand, often has strong notes of caramel and honey that won't go unnoticed. Red honey is the roast to go with for a well-rounded balance of flavors. The fruity notes here may be reminiscent of strawberry, peach, green apple, berries, or even orange blossoms. These are general tasting notes you might expect in each respective cup, but every bag of beans is different, and coffee flavor notes are informed by many factors. Experiment to find your perfect fit.

The honey-processing method may not be as well-known as the washed or natural process, but it's quickly rising in popularity for its delectable flavor. It's the ideal cup to pair with a breakfast of waffles, pancakes, or even a coffee cake. There's nothing like starting off your morning with a bit of sweetness.