Costa Rican coffee famous for honey treatment. What is coffee honey treatment?

Professional coffee knowledge exchange more coffee bean information please follow the coffee workshop (Wechat official account cafe_style)

Anyone who knows coffee knows that there are sun and water washing treatments, but what is the honey treatment that has sprung up in recent years?

Have you ever wondered what coffee honey treatment is? Is this coffee better than other treatments you are used to drinking?

This article takes you to explore what honey treatment is, what are the characteristics of honey treatment, and what is the different significance of honey treatment for baristas and bakers.

Why is it called honey treatment?

There are three main ways to treat coffee: sun exposure, water washing and honey treatment. The sun drying method is to directly expose the coffee cherries before removing the shell and pectin layer; the water washing method is to screen the coffee pulp before exposure and ferment to remove the pectin layer; the honey treatment law is between the sun method and the water washing method: the pectin layer is directly retained and exposed after the coffee pulp is screened.

Then you will ask where is Mi?

The word honey treatment makes many people think that coffee is treated with honey, or that coffee tastes as sweet as honey, but in fact it is not either of these two explanations. The meaning of honey treatment comes from the sticky pectin layer of coffee beans before exposure, which feels as sticky as honey; when the coffee pulp is separated from the coffee beans, the outer coated pectin layer is exposed to absorb moisture in the air and make the pectin layer sticky.

When the coffee is screened, the pectin layer will remain on the outside of the coffee bean.

Why is honey treatment popular with coffee farmers?

At first, some people saw that this treatment could continuously improve the quality of their coffee beans, and it originated in Costa Rica, and this treatment is now ramming.

So why did coffee farmers in Costa Rica plan to treat it with honey in the first place? When coffee farmers want to improve the quality or price of their coffee, they have three choices: change the species of coffee, change the altitude of planting, and change the method of treatment. Just like most people who brew coffee, they will want to use relatively simple ways, such as adjusting the grinding scale and the amount of powder, and then adjusting the amount of water, pressure and temperature of the coffee machine. Most coffee farmers also want to change the treatment method first. Then they will consider planting new tree species or moving the manor, which requires investment of time and money.

Honey treatment is time-consuming and the construction method is exquisite.

Honey treatment is not simple, it takes a long time and must be handled carefully. What are the steps involved in honey processing?

First of all, coffee farmers should select ripe coffee cherries from the coffee tree, and then screen out the outer pulp, as mentioned earlier to retain the pectin layer outside the coffee beans. The pectin layer retains a high proportion of sugar and acid, which are the key to honey treatment.

The following steps are the most complex and exquisite part of honey treatment: exposure. The time must be mastered well, and the length of time is the key. If the exposure time is too short, it is impossible to convert the substance of the pectin layer into the coffee beans, and the time cannot be too long, and the action must be fast to avoid mildew beans caused by internal fermentation.

So how do you strike a balance? Put the beans on the sun scaffolding or cement floor and turn the beans several times per hour for the first few days until they reach the desired moisture content, a step that usually takes 6-10 hours. You need to turn it at least once a day for the next 6-8 days. It takes a lot of time, huh? The reason why honey treatment is so time-consuming is that beans absorb moisture from the air every night, so that it takes more time to expose themselves the next day.

What is the difference in flavor between yellow honey, red honey and black honey in Costa Rican honey treatment?

Simple understanding: the more pectin you keep, the richer and sweeter the coffee will be. Here is a comparison of the flavors of several honey treatments in our cafe:

Fenghuang Manor red honey flavor: dried fruit, vanilla, honey, thick and delicate taste, good sweetness, soft acidity, round and full, long-lasting finish, strong sucrose sweetness of plum, raspberry, chestnut and tail rhyme, and the fragrance of apple peel.

Yerzaro processing plant yellow honey flavor: famous for its excellent natural geographical conditions and excellent regional planting management technology, almost perfect classic flavor, lively citrus flavor in acidity. BlackBerry fruit aroma, acidity and texture, melons sweet taste smooth, drupe / micro-flower aroma, while the finish has a significant coffee flower aroma, is a full of Latin country taste coffee.

Rami Manor Black Honey treatment: with the mild acidity, soft taste and sweet high-quality berry flavor treated with honey, the most obvious difference between them is that they are sweeter than the other from yellow, red and black, plus richer fruit rhymes. The biggest feature is a very amazing sweetness, plum, honey, brown sugar tail rhyme.

A brief summary:

Sweetness: black honey > red honey > yellow honey > white honey

Cleanliness: White honey > yellow honey > red honey > black honey

Sense of balance: red honey / yellow honey > black honey / white honey

When the coffee is exposed, it is almost as dry and roasted as any other treatment.

END