It was shipped...in a ship...to a port. It was prepared in a pot...the whole bean...add water and boil. The coloring is kind of weird, but I've never seen any other color bean than a dark brown...the actual color is kind of greenish brown. The longer it's roasted the darker brown. In the military we put the whole beans in a big pot, poured water in and boiled it over an open flame. The longer it sat the stronger it got. Down near the bottom of the pot it could sing and tap dance.