The processing process is one of the main factors that affects the flavor of coffee. There are three main ways to process coffee beans: dry processing, wet processing, and semi-wet processing. Each produces a distinct coffee flavour. Here's how each process affects flavour:
- Dry processing (natural method):
- The coffee beans are dried entirely with their outer shell.
- This process produces coffee with a flavor that is often complex and varied, tending to have natural acidity and fruity notes.
- They can exhibit grape-like, berry-like, or floral flavors.
- Wet processing:
- The seeds are removed from the coffee fruits and washed with water.
- This process produces coffee with balanced acidity and a clean, bright flavour.
- This coffee may be more bodied and have a heavy body.
- Semi-wet processing:
- This process combines dry processing and wet processing, where the coffee berries are partially peeled and then washed.
- This process results in a coffee that has characteristics common to the previous two processes, bringing a balance between acidity and sweetness.