These are the first lines of 2025 and I want to start with a topic that has become more resonant in the coffee world in recent months, and that is “coffee”with innovative processes”, any number of processes fall into this category and I would like to touch on this topic from another perspective and, at the end, give some conclusions about it.

Let's start with the definition of three words to give context: enhance, enhance, and modify.

The most recognized definitions of these words are:

Empower: To increase the capacity, quality, or value of something.

Enhance: To make something stand out more or be perceived better, to increase the beauty or value of something.

Modify: To change something, introducing alterations in its structure, form or characteristics.

At this point you may be wondering why we started with these words, and the answer is as follows:

My own experience with products and their transformations or innovations, as some narratives would have us believe; let's start with a clear premise: when a product is transformed to meet market needs, the process can lead down three paths, and these paths are marked by the three words we defined earlier.

And since I love using coffee as a mechanism of rapprochement, I'm going to touch on a topic that is in vogue in the coffee world, and that is adding elements that are not normally part of the product's traditional processes. Some of these ways of working with coffee are the following:

Co-fermentation in Coffee

Co-fermentation is the process of fermenting different types of coffee beans together. This can influence the flavor and aroma profile of the final coffee, as the interactions between the different beans can create unique profiles.

Addition of Yeast

The addition of yeasts (such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae) during fermentation can enhance the flavor and aroma of coffee. Yeasts help break down the sugars in the coffee mucilage, producing aromatic compounds and flavors appreciated by tasters.

Adding Fruits

Adding fruit during fermentation can introduce new flavors and aromas to the coffee. Fruits can contribute fruity and sweet notes that complement the coffee's profile.

Use of Coffee Wash Leachate

Using coffee wash leachate can be a way to recycle and reuse resources. These leachates may contain nutrients that can be used in the fermentation process of other coffee beans, helping to improve the quality of the final product.

These definitions come from documents of Cenicafe y de la Universidad de Zamorano, these types of processes can generate changes in a product that we have known for a long time, like coffee, and they can greatly change what we know as coffee.

If we consider coffee as a product, and what we do is enhance, it could mean making the coffee's flavor or aroma more intense, that is, taking what the coffee already has naturally and showcasing it more intensely. In this case, it means showing an existing attribute more clearly.

If we go for enhancement, it is to use something external like cinnamon or pepper and from this addition the final result in the drink changes.

In terms of modification, it could mean changing the recipe or the way it is prepared to obtain a different flavor, which shows the coffee as a different product.

This is where things get a little more complicated, and we could take this to a discussion where the question would be whether the product is modified in every sense of the word, does this product remain the same, or is it something else?

When a product is enhanced with additives, it's technically two products mixed together, and I think the important thing is to enhance the product, where the product remains the same, but is more clearly displayed.

Personally, I love enhanced coffees. The blends are good and cater to tastes. This is where topics such as pairing come in, where coffee accompanies other foods and this allows us to enjoy a different experience. Now, when the product is modified, and this modification shows the product far removed from what we know it as, I think we should define it with another name.

In any case, the important thing is that coffee is handled like food, and that this handling is responsible, always keeping the consumer in mind, and that the consumer is informed and, above all, educated about what they are consuming.