Coffee terms, defined.

From cherry to cupping.

Arabica

Coffea arabica — the species responsible for the world's specialty coffee. Grows best at higher elevations (1,000 m+), produces lower caffeine and a more nuanced cup than Robusta.

Single Estate

Coffee grown, processed and bagged at one farm, with full traceability — no blending across origins. All PKC lots are single estate.

Shade Grown

Coffee cultivated under a canopy of native trees rather than open sun. Slower cherry maturation, higher biodiversity and richer cup complexity.

Washed Process

Coffee cherries are de-pulped, then fermented and washed to remove all mucilage before drying. Produces a clean, bright, transparent cup.

Natural Process

Whole cherries are dried intact around the bean. Sugars from the fruit are absorbed during drying, producing bold, fruit-forward, often wine-like cups.

Honey Process

Cherries are de-pulped but part of the sticky mucilage ("honey") is left on the bean during drying. Colour names (black, red, golden) indicate how much mucilage and how slow the dry.

Anaerobic Fermentation

Cherries or de-pulped beans are sealed in oxygen-free tanks during fermentation, slowing acid development and amplifying unique fruit, floral and savoury notes.

Carbonic Maceration

Whole cherries ferment under a CO₂ atmosphere — a technique borrowed from winemaking. Produces dense, juicy, wine-forward cups.

Koji Process

Coffee is inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae (the koji culture used for sake and miso) during fermentation, building umami sweetness and silky body.

Lactic Process

Controlled lactic-acid bacterial fermentation that builds creamy, yoghurt-like sweetness in the cup.

Fruit Maceration

Coffee is co-fermented with whole fresh fruit (grape, pineapple, papaya, jackfruit, jamun…) to layer extra flavour notes onto the bean.

Cupping / SCA Score

Standardised tasting protocol from the Specialty Coffee Association. Coffees scoring 80+ are 'specialty grade'; 85+ is excellent; 88+ is exceptional.

Micro-lot

A small, separately processed batch from a defined section of the farm — usually a single varietal × processing combination — set aside for its unique cup profile.

Green Coffee

Raw, unroasted coffee beans, the form in which coffee is exported. Roasters develop flavour by roasting green coffee themselves.

Cherry

The fruit of the coffee plant. Each cherry usually contains two seeds — the coffee beans.

Parchment

The papery layer that surrounds the coffee bean after drying. Removed at hulling, just before export bagging.

Elevation (masl)

Metres above sea level. Higher elevation generally means denser beans and brighter acidity. PKC sits at 1,220–1,400 m.

Direct Trade

Coffee sold directly from producer to roaster, without anonymous middle-traders — fairer pricing and tighter feedback loops on quality.