Two packs of honey-processed coffee, a pocketful of excitement and a 10-minute auto ride through Mangalore. It felt like the beginning of something special. Café Villa Urwa awaited and with it, the chance to share the coffees of our farm with someone who was waiting to understand the coffee’s magic.
Now, let me take a moment to clear a common misconception. Honey-processed coffee isn’t about drizzling honey into your brew. It’s about the art of fermentation. Once the coffee cherries are pulped, a sticky golden layer of mucilage remains on the beans. This natural sweetness is left intact as the beans sun-dry, where the sugars caramelize under the heat, creating rich hues of yellow, red, or even black. These colors aren’t just cosmetic. They’re a promise of complexity, balancing sweetness, acidity, and body.
Honey processing sits in a unique space, bridging the vibrant fruitiness of natural coffees and the clean profiles of washed coffees. With the right technique and fermentation time, it can deliver cups that linger on your palate, leaving you craving the next sip.
When I arrived at the café, the owner’s curiosity was palpable. As he opened the packs, the room filled with a sweet, alluring aroma. Definitely some fun preview of what was to come. Without hesitation, he reached for his Chemex, ready to bring these beans to life.
As he brewed, I shared stories of how these coffees came to be—about the long days on the farm, perfecting the process, and the moments of anticipation as we waited for the sun to work its magic. Each story seemed to deepen his appreciation and with each brew, we inched closer to uncovering the best recipe to showcase this coffee.
Cup after cup, we experimented, sipping and discussing, as the café transformed into a sensory playground. By the end, we had a winner of a brew that captured everything this coffee had to offer: a delicate sweetness, a balanced body and a lingering finish that demanded attention.
In just a week, these honey-processed coffees will take center stage at Café Villa Urwa, ready to surprise and delight coffee lovers. But for me, the magic has already begun. After all, coffee isn’t just about the drink. It’s about the journey, the stories, and the connections it creates along the way. And this? This is only the beginning.
