Invented in Brazil 15 years ago, pulp natural coffees tend to have more body and less acidity than their "wet process" equivalents, and can have a cleaner, more uniform quality than full natural "dry-process" coffees.
The Pulp natural is a hybrid method of processing coffee to transform it from the tree fruit to a green bean, ready for export. Specifically, it involves the removal of the skin from the coffee, like the first step of the wet process, but instead of fermenting and removing the fruity mucilage, the coffee is dried with the fruit clinging to the parchment layer. Pulp natural can be performed with a traditional pulper, or with newer forced demucilage equipment, which allows for greater control of exactly how much mucilage is left to dry on the coffee. This is called "Miel" process in Costa Rica, meaning "honey."