In Coffee what does the Dry Process mean?
Dry process, also known as natural processing, is a method of coffee processing where the coffee fruit is dried directly in the sun or on raised screens, without peeling the skin or any water-based sorting or fermenting. The dried coffee turns to a hard, dark brown pod, and the green seed is torn out from the skin and parchment layers in one step or pounded out by hand. This process is simpler and requires less machinery than the wet process, but risks tainting the coffee with defect flavours due to poor handling, drying, or ineffective hand-sorting. Dry process coffees generally have more body and lower acidity than their wet process counterparts, with more rustic flavours due to the long contact between the drying fruit and the seed. However, they also tend to have more defects, taints, and lack of uniformity both in the roast and in cupping. Dry process coffees are common in some growing origins, and the terms "natural coffee," "full natural," or "traditional dry process," or the abbreviation DP may be used to refer to them.