---
type: Concept
title: Coffee Processing
description: The washed, natural, and honey methods of extracting and drying the coffee
  seed after harvest, and their effect on flavor.
tags:
- coffee
- processing
resource: raw/coffee-guide.md
timestamp: '2026-07-16T14:46:09Z'
citadel_version: 0.3.0
---

After harvesting, the coffee cherry must be processed to extract and dry the seed, and the processing method has a pronounced effect on the final flavor of the coffee; three principal approaches are used.[^s1]

In the **washed** process, also called the wet process, the outer skin and most of the fruit pulp are removed before the seeds are fermented in water to break down the remaining mucilage, then washed clean and dried; washed coffees tend to present a cleaner, brighter, and more acidic profile in which the intrinsic character of the bean is clearly expressed.[^s2]

In the **natural** process, also called the dry process, the whole cherry is dried intact in the sun before the seed is extracted; because the seed remains in contact with the fruit throughout drying, natural coffees often take on heavier body and pronounced fruity, sometimes fermented, sweetness.[^s3]

The **honey** process, sometimes described as pulped natural, is an intermediate method: the skin is removed but some of the sticky mucilage is deliberately left on the seed during drying, and the result generally falls between the washed and natural styles, combining a degree of clarity with added sweetness and body.[^s4]

[Caffè Aurora](../organizations/caffe-aurora.md)'s lineup includes examples of two of these methods: [Rift Valley](../objects/rift-valley.md), a washed Kenyan, and [Wildflower Natural](../objects/wildflower-natural.md), a natural-process Ethiopian.[^s5][^s6]

## See also
- [Coffee](../objects/coffee.md)
- [Coffee Roasting](coffee-roasting.md)
- [Rift Valley](../objects/rift-valley.md)
- [Wildflower Natural](../objects/wildflower-natural.md)

## Sources
[^s1]: [raw/coffee-guide.md](../../raw/coffee-guide.md), line 36 — processing overview (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s2]: [raw/coffee-guide.md](../../raw/coffee-guide.md), line 38 — washed/wet process (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s3]: [raw/coffee-guide.md](../../raw/coffee-guide.md), line 40 — natural/dry process (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s4]: [raw/coffee-guide.md](../../raw/coffee-guide.md), line 42 — honey process (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s5]: [raw/aurora-bulletin-2024.md](../../raw/aurora-bulletin-2024.md), § Roast in focus: Rift Valley — origin and processing (ingested 2026-07-16)
[^s6]: [raw/aurora-bulletin-2026.md](../../raw/aurora-bulletin-2026.md), line 18 — description and spring 2026 price (ingested 2026-07-16)
