Honey Process (Cafe Miel)

The honey process removes the coffee cherry's outer skin while leaving some or all of the mucilage intact on the parchment during drying. The name honey refers to the sticky, golden mucilage - not added sweetener. Black honey (100% mucilage left) dries slowly over 25-30 days producing heavy body, dark fruit, low acidity. Yellow honey (20-40% mucilage) dries faster, giving lighter body and stone-fruit sweetness. Red honey sits between the two. Costa Rica popularized this method.