If you're wondering where exactly honey is involved in the coffee process, we're now shedding some light on the subject! In the honey process method, we talk about honey, but what we really mean is the mucilage that is produced when the coffee cherries are de-pulped.
After the cherries have been washed, the husk is then removed by a de-pulper. However, residues always remain on the beans, which resemble mucilage in terms of consistency and are referred to as mucilage in technical jargon. The beans are usually placed directly in the sun so that the fruitiness of the mucilage can be absorbed. Unlike other processing methods that focus on fermentation, the enzymes in the sugar are said to give the beans a natural sweetness.
This method can also produce different colors and, relatedly, different intensity flavor profiles. While white beans are placed in the sun to dry for a rather short period of no more than two weeks, black beans dry for at least two weeks and are either placed in the shade or covered with foil for protection. Yellow, orange and red beans are between white and black.