What is the difference between Natural, Honey, and Washed coffee processing?

Natural (dry) process dries the whole cherry intact, producing heavy body and fruit sweetness. Honey process removes the skin but keeps the mucilage, creating a balance of sweetness and clarity. Washed (wet) process removes all fruit material before drying, resulting in the cleanest cup that best reveals terroir and varietal character.

How is Vera Fermentation different from Koji fermentation?

Koji fermentation uses Aspergillus oryzae, a Japanese mold culture traditionally used in sake and miso production. Vera Fermentation uses a completely different proprietary blend of three microorganisms (not Koji) specifically selected to complement the biochemistry of our Thien Phuc Robusta cultivar. While Koji aims to introduce external flavor compounds, Vera is designed to reveal and stabilize the flavors already inherent in the cultivar and terroir.

Which processing method should I choose for my blend?

It depends on your target cup profile. For bold, sweet espresso blends: Natural. For balanced specialty offerings: Honey. For clean, consistent commercial blends: Washed. For premium single-origin or specialty differentiation: Vera Fermentation. We offer free samples of each processing method so you can taste the difference before committing. Contact us to request a processing method comparison sample set.

Can I request a specific processing method for my OEM order?

Yes. All four processing methods are available for both green bean export and OEM roasted coffee orders. You choose the processing method, we handle everything from cherry to shipment. Custom processing parameters (fermentation time, drying duration) can also be discussed for large-volume orders.

Coffee Processing Methods | Natural, Honey, Washed & Vera Fermentation — Ritachi

Coffee Processing Methods — From Cherry to Green Bean

How coffee is processed after harvest defines its flavor, body, and acidity. At Ritachi, we operate four methods at our own facilities — including our proprietary Vera Fermentation.

Why Processing Matters

Two identical cherries from the same tree, processed differently, produce completely different cups. Processing is where raw potential becomes flavor.

At Ritachi, all processing happens at our own wet mill and dry mill in Bao Loc. We do not outsource. This gives us full control over fermentation, drying, and consistency.

Quick Comparison

Method	Body	Sweetness	Acidity	Best For
Natural	Heavy	High	Low	Blends, espresso
Honey	Medium-heavy	High	Medium	Specialty blends
Washed	Medium	Medium	Bright	Clean espresso
Vera ★	Full	Very high	Balanced	Specialty single-origin

Natural Process (Dry Process)

Whole cherries dried intact on raised beds. Fruit sugars infuse into the bean during 20–30 days of drying.

Cup Profile: Heavy body, pronounced sweetness, low acidity, dried fruit and dark chocolate.

Best For: Espresso blends, Vietnamese phin filter, RTD ingredients. Our most popular method for Robusta Grade 1 Screen 18.

Honey Process

Outer skin removed, mucilage (“honey”) left on bean during drying. Bridges Natural and Washed.

Cup Profile: Medium-heavy body, high sweetness with prolonged finish, balanced acidity. Best of both worlds.

Best For: Specialty Robusta single-origin, premium blends. Increasingly favored as entry point into Fine Robusta.

Washed Process (Wet Process)

All fruit material removed before drying. Cleanest expression of terroir and varietal character.

Cup Profile: Medium body, clean defined notes, brighter acidity. You taste the soil, altitude, and varietal.

Best For: Clean espresso blends, commercial-premium export, and our Robusta Wet Polish.

Vera Fermentation — Ritachi’s Proprietary Process EXCLUSIVE

Vera — from Latin meaning “true” — is our proprietary anaerobic fermentation. Unlike methods that transform coffee flavor, Vera reveals and stabilizes the authentic character of our Thien Phuc cultivar.

The Vera philosophy: Our tri-culture microbial blend was selected to stabilize and enhance flavors already inherent in Thien Phuc — ensuring consistency across seasons while preserving terroir. True to the cultivar. True to the origin. True to the cup.

The Vera Process — 6 Steps

1. Selective Harvest — 100% ripe Thien Phuc cherries, shade-grown, organic-direction

2. Wash & Float Sort — Remove underripe and defective fruit

3. Quality Selection — Secondary manual selection

4. Quick Pre-Dry — Prepare for anaerobic fermentation

5. 168-Hour Anaerobic Vera Fermentation — Sealed tanks with proprietary tri-culture blend. Develops tropical fruit, berry, yogurt-like notes

6. 35-Day Slow Dry — Raised beds in greenhouse, regular turning, target 11–12% moisture

Cup Profile: Full body, very high sweetness, balanced acidity, tropical fruit, berry, yogurt-like creaminess.

Available exclusively through Ritachi as Fine Robusta green beans or custom-roasted under your brand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Natural, Honey, and Washed?

Natural dries whole cherry (heavy body, fruit sweetness). Honey removes skin but keeps mucilage (balanced). Washed removes all fruit (cleanest cup, reveals terroir).

What is Vera Fermentation?

Ritachi’s proprietary 168-hour anaerobic process using a tri-culture microbial blend + 35-day slow dry. Enhances rather than masks the Thien Phuc cultivar’s natural flavor.

How is Vera different from Koji fermentation?

Koji uses Aspergillus oryzae (Japanese mold). Vera uses a completely different proprietary 3-microorganism blend designed for Thien Phuc cultivar. Koji transforms flavor; Vera reveals inherent flavor.

Which method should I choose for my blend?

Bold espresso: Natural. Balanced specialty: Honey. Clean commercial: Washed. Premium differentiation: Vera. Free comparison samples available — contact us.

Does processing method affect price?

Washed/Natural: commercial-premium. Honey: moderate premium. Vera: specialty pricing due to 168h fermentation, 35-day drying, and limited Thien Phuc supply.