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From Cherry to Cup: How Coffee Processing Shapes Flavor —and Why Kenya Favors the “Fully Washed” Method
- 07 May, 2025
- Martin Kabaki
When you sip a vibrant cup of Café Nairobi, you're tasting more than just high-altitude beans and volcanic soil—you're tasting process. The way a coffee cherry is transformed after harvest determines whether your brew bursts with blackcurrant brightness, rich jammy sweetness, or smooth cocoa notes.
Let’s explore four main coffee processing methods—and why Kenya overwhelmingly favors the fully washed process.
1. Dry Processing (Natural): Sun-Ripened Sweetness
Picture whole cherries spread on raised mesh beds, drying slowly under the equatorial sun. Over weeks, the fruit dehydrates and sugars soak into the seed, creating:
- Flavor: Bold, fruity notes like strawberry jam or tropical punch, with a heavier body and low acidity.
- Challenges: High humidity risks fermentation flaws. Requires space and labor—scarce in Kenya’s dense highlands.
- Kenya rarely uses this method—natural coffees account for less than 10% of national output
2. Wet Processing (Washed): Kenya’s Signature Clarity
This is the gold standard for Kenyan coffee:
- Depulping: Cherries are pulped within hours of harvest.
- Double Fermentation: Beans soak in tanks twice to remove all mucilage.
- Grading & Drying: Clean parchment flows through channels that sort by density, then dries on raised beds for 9–15 days.
Why Kenya embraces the washed method
| Advantage | Cup & Commercial Benefits |
|---|---|
| Pristine flavor | Double soaking highlights Kenya’s terroir—notes of blackcurrant, tomato, pink grapefruit, and wine-like acidity. |
| Graded quality (AA, AB, PB) | Sorting by density and size commands premium prices at the Nairobi Coffee Exchange. |
| Ample water supply | Streams from Mount Kenya and the Aberdares support water-intensive washing. |
| Built-in infrastructure | Colonial-era co-ops established over 700 washing stations. |
| Market demand | Global buyers expect the bright, clean “Kenya AA” profile—key to sustaining high bids. |
As a result, about 90% of Kenyan arabica is fully washed
3. Honey Processing: A Sweet Middle Ground
Also known as pulped natural, this method removes the skin but leaves some mucilage on the bean during drying. The more mucilage, the darker the “honey” color.
- Flavor: A balance of fruit sweetness and the cleaner finish of washed coffee.
- In Kenya, it is rare and experimental, mostly from estates working with specialty roasters.
4. Wet-Hulled: Earthy & Mellow (Not Kenyan)
Popular in Indonesia, wet-hulling removes parchment while the bean is still moist, producing a syrupy, earthy cup with muted acidity.
Kenya’s export standards and climate make this method impractical.
Why Café Nairobi Champions the Fully Washed Tradition
At Café Nairobi, we source directly from cooperative factories in Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Embu—regions known for double-washed coffees dried on raised beds.
We choose this method because it:
- Honors terroir – Clean processing lets volcanic soils shine.
- Enhances complexity – Think blackcurrant, citrus, and bright acidity.
- Empower farmers – Higher auction prices mean better incomes for Kenya’s 600,000+ smallholders.
Still, coffee is a creative craft. Expect occasional limited-edition naturals or honey lots from us—always carefully curated.
Final Sip
From sun-dried naturals to precision-washed gems, processing transforms cherries into your morning ritual. In Kenya, wet processing reigns supreme—bringing clarity, brightness, and unmistakable character to every cup.
Next time you brew Café Nairobi, savor the journey—from cherry to cup—the Kenyan way.
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