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Why does Costa Rica use honey processing? Introduction to the honey processing of Labrador Manor in Tara Pearl production area

Published: 2025-12-05 Author:

Last Updated: 2025/12/05, When it comes to Costa Rican coffee, many people will think of the country's unique honey processing, and many people will be misled by the name of Honey processing and think it is a processing method with added honey. In fact, it is not. This is mainly because the honey processing method will retain the fruit.

When it comes to Costa Rican coffee, many people will think of the country's characteristic honey treatment, and many people will be misled by the name honey treatment (Honey processing), thinking that honey is added to the treatment. In fact, it is not true, this is mainly in the honey treatment, will retain the pectin content, and the pectin has sugar, and the state is sticky, so it is easy to think of honey, so it is named honey treatment.

The predecessor of honey treatment was Pulped Natural in Brazil, which was invented in order to save water and improve the quality of its coffee. Later, Costa Rica learned from this treatment, improved to form a honey treatment, and carried it forward, which is now popular in many coffee-producing countries in the Americas.

In fact, in the initial time, Costa Rica mainly adopted the method of washing treatment, and at that time it was recognized as a pioneer in the modernization of washing stations and wet treatment plants. Until now, many farmers will choose to use water washing treatment, after all, washing treatment can maximize the aroma of coffee beans, and show their own basic flavor. Therefore, in the Qianjie entry series, the coffee beans from Tarazhu, Costa Rica are washed, with sweet orange and nut flavor, light and pure, pleasant aroma, showing the local local flavor of Costa Rica.

However, during the period 1997-2000, when international coffee prices were in the doldrums, Costa Rican coffee growers needed to improve the quality (and thus the price), so instead of selling fresh coffee fruit to large processing plants, some growers began to study the treatment methods and produce and sell themselves. at this time, half-sun treatment from Brazil was introduced.

In addition, a pectin scraping machine (demucilager) has been developed. Compared with the Brazilian peel and pulp separator (depulper), pectin scraping can adjust pressure and caliber and retain more or more complete pectin layer when removing pulp and peel.

After the coffee beans with pectin layer are dried, the retained pectin will be fermented briefly during the sun exposure, so it will increase the acidity of the coffee beans, and a little sugar in the pectin layer will seep into the beans to increase their sweetness. therefore, the flavor is richer than the Brazilian half-sun treatment. However, honey treatment needs special care in the drying process, all due to the retention of pectin on coffee beans and the presence of a lot of mucus, which needs to be turned over constantly in the drying process to avoid mildew and excessive fermentation.

Later, in 2008, Costa Rica was hit by a severe earthquake, so water and electricity were cut off in many places, and the government took a variety of measures to save water. Faced with the plight of water shortage, more growers began to try honey treatment, which reduces the use of water, but some farmers believe that this treatment is prone to uncontrollable fermentation.

Until more and more people got good results after the experiment, honey treatment gradually developed in Costa Rica. Through the cup test, it was found that compared with the washing treatment, the honey-treated coffee beans were sweeter, moderately sour and less irritating in taste.

Later, by retaining the thickness and drying time of pectin, black honey, red honey, yellow honey and white honey were subdivided into black honey, red honey, yellow honey and white honey, but it was later found that the proportion of pectin retention could not be accurately controlled when peeling the pulp. And it is difficult to change the degree of pectin retention.

The main factor determining the color is the sugar content in the coffee fruit. The main pectin contains a lot of sugar, which begins to oxidize when it comes into contact with the air, slowly turns golden, and may turn red or black as it ferments. In addition, there is a secondary factor is the fermentation state, which depends on the turning frequency of the drying process, as well as changes in the weather, dry humidity and other factors.

Recently, Qianjie acquired rosy summer coffee beans from the San Isidro Labrador Manor in the Tarazu producing area, using honey treatment. Rose summer itself is a kind of coffee beans with floral aroma and sour fruit, coupled with the use of honey treatment to increase its sweetness, so Qianjie will choose medium-light baking when roasting, there will be a light floral aroma after cooking, with orange, peach and cherry flavors in the mouth, as sweet as juice, smooth taste and sweet tea taste.