Honey processing grew to become synonymous with Costa Rica within the late 2000s. Following a significant earthquake in 2008, the nation’s authorities imposed water utilization restrictions – forcing Costa Rican espresso producers to innovate with their processing strategies.

Arising from this problem, honey processed espresso was born. Intensely candy with a pronounced physique and sophisticated flavour notes, specialty espresso consumers rapidly got interested on this processing methodology, and demand elevated.

At present, it’s thought-about one of many “large three” alongside washed and pure processed coffees. Producers have experimented with completely different variations of mucilage retained on the beans to create a spread of flavour profiles, creating black, crimson, yellow, and white honey processed heaps that we’re now conversant in.

Lately, plenty of novel and superior processing strategies have emerged as a approach for producers to distinguish their coffees with thrilling, unconventional tasting notes. As these strategies have gained reputation, honey processing has successfully turn into “regular” – and deemed much less thrilling than strategies equivalent to anaerobic fermentation and carbonic maceration.

However that doesn’t imply producers nonetheless aren’t persevering with to innovate with honey processing. To be taught extra, I spoke to Jorge Raul Rivera, a three-time Cup of Excellence-winning espresso producer in El Salvador, and Jamie Treby, espresso strategist at DRWakefield.

You may additionally like our article on whether or not extra producers are beginning to diversify their processing strategies.

How honey processing grew to become a staple of the espresso business

Some espresso origins are synonymous with sure processing strategies. Brazil is thought for its pure processed coffees, whereas washed coffees are notably well-liked in Kenya.

Costa Rica, in the meantime, pioneered honey processing. Like every processing method, the concept is to reinforce and pinpoint sure flavour notes, nevertheless it was additionally developed out of necessity after government-imposed water utilization restrictions within the late 2000s.

“Costa Rica is essentially the most well-known origin for honey processed coffees, notably with the completely different ‘colors’ of honey,” says Jamie Treby, a espresso strategist at inexperienced espresso dealer DRWakefield. “There are farms that discuss innovating way back to the early 2000s.”

Borrowing from pulped pure processing utilized in Brazil, the honey course of will get its identify from the sticky mucilage left intact on the beans as they dry. Not like washed coffees, the place the pores and skin and pulp are completely eliminated, and naturals, the place all the cherry dries intact, honey processing lies someplace inbetween. Cherries are pulped to take away the outer pores and skin, abandoning the mucilage. 

Producers then depart various ranges of mucilage intact because the espresso dries, creating completely different flavour profiles and textures. The completely different “colors” suggest completely different percentages of mucilage left on the beans earlier than drying. Sometimes, the upper the quantity of mucilage, the extra sugars might be current because the espresso dries, resulting in sweeter flavours.

The most typical forms of honey processed coffees are:

• Black honey: 75 to 100% mucilage, so it’s most much like pure processing
• Crimson honey: 50% mucilage
• Yellow honey: round 25% mucilage
• White honey: round 10% mucilage, so akin to a washed espresso

Demand grows

Intitial responses to honey processing had been sceptical, with some claiming the flavours had been too “wild” or “unclean”. However as client demand modified, curiosity in honey processed coffees grew. 

Extra specialty espresso roasters began to supply honey processed Costa Rican single origins, serving to to determine the nation’s world repute. The coffees additionally carried out nicely at auctions, receiving excessive scores and fetching excessive costs.

Over time, producers in different nations began to experiment with honey processing.

“Graciano Cruz, a pioneering producer from Panama, introduced honey processing to El Salvador,” says Jorge Raul Rivera, an award-winning espresso producer in El Salvador. “At first, everybody was apprehensive, nevertheless it’s not rocket science and we obtained to know how you can do it nicely fairly rapidly. 

“For that cause three of our first locations at Cup of Excellence are honey processed Pacamara.”

Jamie says honey processing can be gaining popularity in nations like Guatemala, Vietnam, Myanmar, Peru, and Uganda – underscoring its mass attraction.

The “new regular” for specialty espresso

As extra nations began to course of black, crimson, yellow, and white honey coffees at larger volumes, the worldwide market rapidly grew to become saturated with them. With various flavour profiles and mouthfeel, these coffees appealed to a variety of customers, permitting espresso retailers and roasters to fulfill demand throughout the board.

In time, honey processed coffees rapidly grew to become “customary” choices within the specialty espresso market. As soon as differentiated, and even thought-about “too funky”, they not stood out as customers demanded extra fascinating and distinctive flavour experiences.

“After we began our farm many years in the past, we processed 90% washed coffees and solely 10% non-washed,” Jorge tells me. “These days it’s the other; we do 80% non-washed and 20% washed as a result of that’s what customers need.”

The proliferation of experimental processing strategies lately – most notably numerous forms of managed fermentation equivalent to anaerobic and lactic fermentation – has captured a few of honey processed espresso’s market share. Providing much more complicated, layered, and fascinating flavour profiles, superior and novel processing strategies have began to turn into extra widespread in specialty espresso.

On the similar time, standardisation grew to become a problem for honey processed coffees. 

“The share of mucilage left intact, in addition to fermentation and drying instances, all range, so what one producer creates as crimson may be one other producer’s yellow or black,” Jamie explains. “Now we have producers that provide crimson honey coffees, however the proportion of mucilage and fermentation and drying instances are all completely different, so the colors cowl a broad spectrum.

“White honey coffees, particularly, could be near washed coffees, however how producers develop them varies,” he provides. “They are often pulped with 5% mucilage left on, or a brief drying time with 90% of the mucilage intact.”

What may very well be subsequent?

Regardless of being thought-about a “regular” processing methodology by many, producers – in Costa Rica and past – are persevering with to innovate with honey processed coffees.

Whereas some use the processing methodology as a base to construct on additional flavour improvement, others have created new forms of honey processed coffees. Pink, orange, and golden honeys have appeared in specialty espresso retailers and roasters, though the precise mucilage percentages and fermentation and drying instances are unknown. This drives innovation, but additionally muddies the water additional concerning standardisation.

“Honey processing has all the time been about completely different variations. At first, folks thought you can solely do honey, pure, and washed coffees, however you are able to do so many variations,” Jorge says. “That’s what’s so fascinating and particular about it.

“There’s no particular selection that works greatest, too. Pacamaras work nicely as honey processed coffees, and Geshas, when performed nicely with out an excessive amount of fermentation, style wonderful. It’s a matter of expertise.”

There’s immense worth in honey processing, particularly in producing nations the place entry to water is scarce. Because of this, producers will proceed to leverage this processing methodology whether or not by itself or as a place to begin for additional flavour improvement.

“I’ve seen some anaerobic honey coffees, which significantly dial down the ‘over-funk’ into a posh but delicate espresso,” Jamie tells. “I believe producers will dial again honey processing into one or two variations per farm, quite than attempting to supply all of them.”

Is robusta the way forward for honey processing?

As specialty espresso embraces high-quality robusta, there’s potential for producers to make use of honey processing to supply new, differentiated sensory experiences.

“Honey processing is especially widespread for arabica and helps to melt acidity. For robusta, although, it might probably soften a extra aggressive flavour profile and make it extra palatable to a wider viewers, and even produce some fruitiness that isn’t so widespread,” Jamie says. “The flesh of robusta tends to have the next brix proportion than arabica, so there are extra sugars to work with.

“Extra sugars means you’ll be able to construct extra on a base profile, particularly since you’re not combating the noise of acidity, so the influence of processing on flavour is simpler to detect,” he provides. “In Vietnam, the place the robusta profile is kind of delicate, honey processing can produce some wonderful fruity coffees and is little doubt a contributor to success.”

Honey processed arabicas proceed to fetch excessive costs at auctions. On the Gesha Village 2022 public sale, a consortium of Japanese consumers bought a 60kg bag of Ethiopian honey processed espresso for over US $33,000 – indicating its attraction and worth.

Whereas it could take a few years for honey processed robusta to realize related outcomes, there’s clear potential for rising market demand.

As soon as unique to Costa Rica, honey processing rapidly grew to become well-liked within the early 2010s for its intensely candy flavours. At present, producers world wide use this methodology, and it’s now a staple of specialty espresso. 

Experimental processing has since gained a few of its market share, however farmers are nonetheless discovering methods to innovate with honey processed coffees.

Loved this? Then learn our article on whether or not we will actually outline experimental processing strategies.

Picture credit: DRWakefield, Jorge Raul Rivera

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