Processing, roast, and peaberry: not coffee species

Processing happens before roasting

In a natural process, cherries are generally dried with seeds inside. A washed process removes fruit material and uses stages to remove mucilage before drying. Honey processes retain some mucilage during drying. Actual procedures vary between producers. None of these words defines a botanical species, and none guarantees better quality or one specific fruit flavour.

Peaberry describes a seed form

Most coffee cherries contain two seeds, while a peaberry develops as one more rounded seed. Peaberries may be sorted and sold separately. This is not a species or an origin, and shape does not prove that every peaberry lot is sweeter or superior to flat beans. Evaluate the actual coffee and how it was handled.

Roast and decaf are different dimensions

Light, medium, and dark describe roasting approaches rather than varieties. Roast affects aroma, solubility, and taste; no one colour suits every coffee or recipe. Decaf is coffee that has undergone caffeine reduction, not a separate species, and it may retain a small amount of caffeine. Ask about origin, processing, and the decaffeination method rather than assuming decaf has one flavour profile.