When it comes to sweeter coffee, many people will think of Costa Rican coffee, because the coffee beans produced in Costa Rica are of high quality, with light and pure flavor, pleasant aroma and high sweetness. Therefore, many people are curious, why is Costa Rica’s coffee so sweet?
Front Street believes that this is due to the fact that Costa Rica almost has the climate and terrain conditions for coffee cultivation, and the country’s government attaches great importance to the coffee industry and strictly requires the production of high-quality coffee. The other is the Honey Process, which is commonly used in Costa Rica. This process can increase the sweetness of coffee and give it a caramel-like taste. Front Street Strawberry Candy is a Geisha blend that uses honey processing.
Costa Rica, located in the Central American Isthmus, is affected by both the Pacific and Atlantic ocean currents and monsoons, forming suitable temperatures and a unique microclimate in Costa Rica. The coffee-producing areas are concentrated in the center of the country, which is run through by the Cordillera mountains and brings numerous volcanic mountains and basins. More than 80% of the coffee is grown in volcanic soil at an altitude of 800-1,700 meters.
In the coffee grading system, Costa Rica, like most Central American coffee producing areas, uses altitude as the main criterion. It is believed that the higher the altitude, the greater the temperature difference between day and night. When the temperature is low, the ripening time of coffee berries is extended. During this period, more sugar substances can accumulate, the flavor will be richer, and the density and hardness will be better. At present, most Costa Rica coffee beans are extremely hard beans of the SHB grade (above 1,200 meters above sea level). The altitude of Tarrazu, the most common production area in Front Street, is as high as 1,500-2,100 meters.
In addition, the Costa Rican government attaches great importance to the coffee industry and believes that only by producing high-quality Arabica coffee beans can it gain a foothold in the international market. Therefore, in the early 20th century, a law was enacted to prohibit the production of coffee beans other than Arabica varieties. This shows its determination to maintain high-quality coffee.
What we need to know is that the “honey” in honey processing has nothing to do with taste! Because this "honey" is not that honey, it does not describe the honey-like sweetness of the processed coffee.
Honey Process is translated from English Honey Process, also called Miel Processes. Whether it's Honey or Miel, they both mean honey when translated. The term honey processing first appeared in Costa Rica. Because the sticky pectin coating the coffee beans has a very similar texture to honey, the locals like to call it "Miel".
And because there is a step in the honey processing to wrap the pectin in the coffee beans and dry them in the sun, people simply call this processing method "honey processing".
The honey treatment process is relatively not too complicated. Its predecessor is the semi-sun treatment in Brazil. First, the picked coffee cherries are flotated and the bad berries and impurities are screened out. A special peeling machine is then used to remove the peel and pulp, leaving the pectin and the coffee beans for the sun-drying process. When the coffee beans are dried to a certain moisture content, they can be recycled and stored, and then shelled before export.
Since pectin contains a large amount of sugar, it will begin to oxidize when exposed to air, and the color will gradually deepen as the drying time increases. Starting from yellow and white, it gradually deepens to golden, yellow, even red and black! The specific degree of transformation depends on the amount of pectin retained, and their drying time will vary from 2 to 4 weeks depending on the pectin content.
The more intact the pectin remains during the peeling and fleshing process, the longer it takes to dry and the darker the final color of the pectin. The familiar white, yellow, red and black honey treatments actually refer to honey treatments with different pectin retention levels. White honey retains less pectin, followed by yellow and red honey, while black honey retains the most and most complete pectin.
Theoretically speaking, coffee processed with black honey will be processed with honey that has been exposed to sunlight recently, because it retains the most complete pectin, has the deepest degree of fermentation, and has the highest sweetness. However, due to the many steps, the price will be slightly more expensive. The representative coffee beans processed with black honey are Front Street Blackberry, which is a high-altitude single product from Costa Rica. Because it has a floral and fruity aroma, it is roasted medium to light. When brewed, it shows the flavor of sweet floral, grape, sweet orange, and wine-centered chocolate.
But what’s interesting is that each manufacturer has a different definition of honey processing for different colors, because there is no clear standard in the industry to define it. Therefore, it is easy to have embarrassing situations such as: one company defines "yellow honey" but another company defines it as "white honey" or "red honey".
In addition to conventional honey treatments such as white, yellow, red, and black, there are also some more special honey treatments. For example, the Front Street Strawberry Candies and Mozart on the Front Street souvenir list use a relatively alternative "raisin honey treatment". The main difference between raisin honey processing and conventional honey processing is that the coffee cherries are dried for at least three days before peeling! After the coffee cherries begin to shrivel, peel and shell them, and begin the honey processing step.
This processing method allows the coffee to develop a richer flavor expression! It is recommended to try Front Street Mozart and Front Street Strawberry Candy. They both have complex flavors of strawberry, berries, and raisins, and are very sweet! To sum up, everyone knows that no matter what kind of honey processing, its "honey" does not refer to the taste of coffee, but to pectin that is shaped like honey~
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
