What is honey treatment? How many kinds of honey treatment are there?

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What is honey treatment? How many kinds of honey treatment are there?

I believe many people already know that there is not only one way to process coffee. The purpose of this article is to explore one of the "honey treatments" of coffee processing.

Presumably the name "honey processing" itself may be a little misleading. Most people who have heard or drank honey-treated coffee will think that honey-treated coffee is an aroma or a description of a taste, even when honey is added to the processing of coffee beans, otherwise there are honey-like spices in it. As a matter of fact, there are neither of these situations, nor is that what I mean.

A coffee buyer who came to Costa Rica from Japan in 2008 asked to replace traditional washed coffee with "PULP NATURAL" (natural sticky paste). This is because two major coffee bean companies in Japan, from Illy and Guataro in Italy, use this semi-washed Brazilian coffee in their blended beans.

They want to expand the purchase options, in order to affirm the quality of Costa Rican coffee beans, so they put forward the concept of semi-washing, and asked Costa Rica to use semi-washing to deal with coffee beans. The results showed that the coffee beans treated by semi-washing not only had rich aroma, but also reduced the original acidity of Costa Rican coffee and improved the overall coffee flavor.

Because the mucous membrane on the surface of semi-washed coffee beans feels sticky, and that stickiness feels very much like honey, the word "Honey" was born because it gives people a visual feel like honey.

Honey processing (Honey processed) is divided into four levels, namely white honey (White Honey), yellow honey (Yellow Honey), red honey (Red Honey) and black honey (Black Honey). Color is just a distinction, and the main difference between inconsistent colors is taste. It is worth mentioning that due to the adjustment of different cleaning degrees and drying time of coffee beans, a new technology of honey treatment has been developed, which also makes the working method of coffee treatment enter a new milestone.

As the name implies, semi-washing must have the steps of washing with water, but the mucous membrane on parchment is not washed thoroughly and cleanly. The so-called semi-washing is actually the traditional Brazilian method of dealing with raw beans.

The color of the honey-treated coffee bean shell depends on the amount of mucus attached to the parchment. Because the mucus of white honey is less attached, it is closer to the wet-treated coffee beans. The mucus of yellow honey is almost half washed, so the color is lighter. Red honey retains more mucus than yellow honey, because it is only soaked in a clean sink for one night, and then the skin is removed, and there is no real cleaning procedure. Black honey preserves all the mucus and does not wash, just peeling off the outer skin of the coffee berries. Although it has not been cleaned with clean water, black honey is still classified as a semi-washed treatment method.

The black treatment process is similar to dry treatment, and there is no cleaning action, but the definition of dry treatment is that you must wear clothes (without peeling). Although the black treatment process is not hydrophilic, she just broke the rules, she took it off, and it was all exposed!

The drying process of yellow honey coffee must receive sufficient sunlight for about 8 days, until the fastest drying time is required for the finished yellowish coffee beans to reach the standard water content. Red honey takes longer to dry than yellow honey, and this process is usually developed in weather with thicker clouds. In this kind of drying method which is not fully exposed to the sun, it often takes about 12 days to complete the drying. As for black honey, it takes the longest time to dry coffee beans to a dark red appearance, and it also has the highest failure rate and difficulty. Not only can it not be in full sunlight, it must also be covered with a tarp of black plastic. The drying process should also be very careful to avoid spoilage and odor caused by mold growth.

The level and flavor of black honey is the most complex, lively, wild, delicious and varied, not only in small quantities, but also expensive. Although this type of coffee takes the longest time to make, it is the most delicious and most anticipated! It often shows strawberry aromas of sweet red fruit, as well as pleasant acidity and creamy, smooth and balanced aromas.

It is uncertain that among the raw beans of honey-treated coffee imported into many varieties and manors and producing areas in Taiwan, there is no black honey coffee, but there are few signs of such differences. When you have the opportunity to buy honey-treated coffee, you might as well ask the shop owner what level of honey-treated coffee they provide.

Different processes are handled in order to create different flavors to bring to the taste, even if it is only a slight gap. A lot of experience has proved time and again that although it is only a slightly different way of dealing with coffee, the output value and reputation created by coffee are always as impressive as the sudden rise of a new force.