The Journey of a Bean to your cup!
Coffee is grown in warm tropical climates such as: – Central and South America, Africa and The Middle East and Southeast Asia.
When it is time for harvesting the farmer looks for bright red coffee cherries. Red coffee cherries indicate that they are ripe while green cherries need more time to ripen. After harvesting they begin a washing process.
Three Types of Processing
Washed process
In the washed process the cooler cherry is stripped off the coffee bean using a mechanical depulper, after de-pulping the coffee beans are soaked in tanks of water for 24-72 hrs to allow fermentation to remove any remaining fruit. From there the coffee goes to drying patios where it is turned with rakes to allow proper drying.
Natural Process
Using the natural process the coffee bean is dried on the patios with the cherry still on the bean. Once it’s dry the fruit is removed mechanically. This process is used regularly when there is a shortage of water.
Honey Process
The honey process is a mix of the washed and natural processes, the coffee is de-pulped and dried with any remaining fruit still on the bean.
All three result in excellent coffees.
The Natural Process coffees tend to be fruity and have possible floral notes and are more sweet.
The Washed Process coffees can be brighter tasting and also result in more Chocolate, Carmel, Nutty notes.
The Honey Process coffees have the brightness of a washed process bean along with the sweetness of a natural process bean.
