Buna Vocabulary

A Shared Language — From Leaf to Cup

A common reference for farmers, producers, processors, café staff, and researchers. Fourteen sections. Every term defined, sourced, and cross-linked.

Why this exists. Buna is a new category. Words borrowed from tea, coffee, or herbal medicine carry assumptions that do not always fit. This vocabulary builds a shared platform: one set of terms, agreed meanings, consistent language across the farm, the processing shed, the café, and the conversation. It is a living document — terms will be refined as understanding grows.

Fourteen Sections
01

Master Reference

Master Reference · Visual Language

The complete Citane visual language. The master icon board and category map from plant to cup.

02

Plant — The Source

Origin · Leaf Stages

The coffee plant and its leaf stages — from root system to harvest.

03

Leaf Origin

Growth · Environment · Character

Ten factors that shape a leaf before it is ever picked — variety through annual cycle.

04

Plant Variety & Anatomy

Genetics · Structure · Potential

Variety types from wild landrace to future varieties, and leaf anatomy from bud to stem.

05

Plant Care

Nourish · Protect · Renew

Seventeen care practices governing what happens between establishment and harvest.

06

Seasons & Phenology

Rhythm · Timing · Cycle

Seasonal stages of the coffee plant and eight factors that govern their timing.

07

How to Read a Leaf

Citane Framework · Field Assessment

A bridge between plant and process. Six questions to ask before the leaf enters processing.

08

Quality at Source

Harvest · Standards · Identity

Ten source-quality principles and the qualities they produce in the leaf.

09

Process — Icon Board

Shaping · Brewing · Transformation

Twenty-nine process and brewing icons across three rows.

10

Process — Shaping the Leaf

Journey · Steps · Craft

The ten-step journey from plucking to packaging, and the principles behind each step.

11

Thermal Transformation

Heat · Precision · Purpose

Seven stages of heat application and what happens inside the leaf at each one.

12

Flavour & Aroma

Taste · Aroma · Documented Compounds

Primary taste and aroma terms, grounded in published research on coffee leaf volatiles.

13

Mouthfeel, Finish & Impression

Texture · Aftereffects · Overall

Mouthfeel, aftereffects, finish, and overall sensory impression terms.

14

Environment & Impact

Landscape · Sustainability · Future

Ten environmental concepts and the full value chain from landscape to positive impact.

How to use this reference