What is yellow honey processing?

Yellow honey processing is a honey variant where approximately 25% of the mucilage is left on the bean after pulping. The beans then dry under direct sunlight, which oxidises the remaining mucilage and gives the drying beans a yellow hue as they progress.

Yellow honey sits between white honey (minimal mucilage) and red honey (around 50% mucilage) on the honey processing spectrum. The relatively limited mucilage means drying is faster than for red or black honey, with less intensive daily management required to prevent mould.

In the cup, yellow honey processed coffees are typically clean and smooth with a light sweetness and mild fruit influence - closer to washed coffees than to red or black honeys in character, but with a slightly rounder body and gentler acidity than a fully washed version of the same coffee. Yellow honey is commonly produced in Costa Rica, where the precision and craft of honey processing has been developed over decades into one of the country's signature contributions to specialty coffee.