Once harvested, coffee beans can be left inside the cherry capsule and dried directly. Alternatively, the coffee beans can be separated (this is referred to as the “threshing” process) from the “parchment” that is the cover. Each cherry has two beans inside. There the threshing can be completed traditionally, using a manual machine that works with a hand crank. Once separated, coffee producers cover the beans with a gooey layer called “mucilage,” which they wash off afterward. They then transport the beans to a small greenhouse called a “marquee.” There, they spread out the beans for drying. Once dried, they are roasted. In the hacienda, producers use the “parchment” of the coffee, the dry leaves, as fuel for the roaster.
Roasting is key in the whole process and makes a difference in the coffee quality. When we receive coffee that is very roasted and black, it indicates that the coffee is of low quality. People tend to overroast to cover the taste of acidity; however, if the quality is good, it is roasted very little and has a brownish color. A lightly roasted coffee bean, for example, has a line in the center, with a touch of dry leaf and a very characteristic golden color. Hence, “golden” is often used when referring to this type of coffee since it has extraordinary quality.