Ratnagiri CatuaiHoney Education Lot

Mr. Ashok has at times been referred to as a ‘processing wizard.’ Put another way, Mr. Ashok has been passionately developing processing infrastructure and fermentation techniques at Ratnagiri that are unlike those seen almost anywhere in the coffee producing world. His goal, like other ambitious producers we’ve met in India, is to use processing to push the bounds of what India’s unique plant genetics and terroir can bring to the cup. In his own words, Mr. Ashok considers Ratnagiri to be a place where “Science Meets Specialty."

Mr. Ashok (front) of Ratnagiri Estate

The three honey processed lots we recently released as part of our Education Lot menu, each stand as an excellent example of the impact of Mr. Ashok Patre’s peerless approach. In fact, to simply call these lot’s honey-processed, would not do justice to Mr. Ashok’s level of investment and painstaking attention to detail.

Processing for this particular catuai lot begins with whole cherries, which undergo what Mr. Ashok calls “controlled microbial fermentation inside custom-made bioreactors” before pulping. While he keeps the minute details of his processes somewhat close to the vest, we know from speaking with him previously that the application of select yeast strains applied in quantities relative to a recorded brix reading is among the strategies Mr. Ashok uses to ‘control microbial fermentation.’ His custom bioreactors allow him yet further control over the bioligically active environment he shapes during fermentation. Once the cherries leave the bio-reactors, a more tradtional honey-process approach begins, where the cherries are finally pulped and moved to drying beds where they are carefully rotated for even drying over a period of 24-26 days.

Processing and Fermentation Infrastructure at Ratnagiri Estate