Featured Image Caption: Coffee is One of the Most Popular Beverages
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The aroma and taste of a fresh cup of joe can be intoxicating and addicting. There is a good reason why coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world and has been for countless centuries.
The coffee bean production process starts by collecting coffee cherries, then pulping them to extract the beans, packaging and transporting the raw beans, and finally roasting and packaging them.
Different brewing methods include the pour-over, French press, AeroPress, cold brew, and vacuum brewing with a siphon.
It should be noted that using different coffee beans will yield different aromas, flavours, and textures of coffee. Where, how, and when the coffee beans are grown will play a significant role in the result.
Even the roasting and brewing method will play a major role in the final product. Here we are going to explore the main factors that determine coffee favour and aroma.
Growing Conditions and Region
The territory where the coffee beans are grown, and the growing conditions of that region will play a huge role in how the coffee tastes.
With so many aromas, textures, and flavour profiles, there are hundreds of combinations to consider, each unique to the region and country of origin. It should also be noted that the coffee plant’s ability to yield its robust flavour will be influenced by its overall health.
Climatic factors must be evaluated, including rainfall, altitude, soil, and wind.
How Different Processing Methods Impact the Taste of Coffee
- The washed process requires the coffee beans or seeds to be extracted from the coffee fruit’s exterior layer, known as the exocarp. It must be soaked and fermented in fresh water for several hours.
- The natural process is sometimes referred to as the dry processing or full natural method. The coffee beans or seeds are allowed to dry inside the coffee skin and fruit.
- The honey process is interesting as it serves as a hybrid between the washed and natural methods.
How Roasting Techniques Affect Coffee Taste
The roasting technique that is employed will have a great impact on the final taste of the coffee in question. For instance, a light roast coffee will help highlight or showcase the nuanced and complex flavours inherent to the coffee seed or bean.
A medium roast coffee amalgamates the nuanced flavours inherent to the coffee bean by roasting sugars that are caramelized. The result is a cup of coffee that is both rich and balanced.
As a dark roast coffee, it is lower in acidity when compared to its light and medium roast counterparts. However, it can mask or mute its flavour profile via further caramelizing sugars. Its roast characteristics are unique, allowing for a unique blend of coffee.
Coffee beans serve as the progenitor, while the roasting technique employed serves as the catalyst that helps unleash the aroma and flavour of the bean to satisfy coffee lovers worldwide.
How Blending Affects Coffee Taste
The majority of coffee that people drank several decades ago was blended. Today, many companies in the coffee industry still blend their coffee. However, there are some notable exceptions.
For example, the specialty market places a greater emphasis on single origins. They are all the rage in this increasingly popular niche. When you buy single-origin coffee, you’re buying coffee that was grown and sourced entirely by one producer, often locals in the region the coffee came from. The drinker of the single-origin coffee will, in essence, be experiencing the fruits of the farmer’s labour.
Some may consider single origins pure and the truest and most natural way to enjoy coffee from the source. Opinions vary, but it is nonetheless an interesting new phenomenon that we should keep an eye on.
How Brewing Methods Influence Coffee Taste
Before brewing your coffee, you must consider your equipment, beans, freshness, the grind, and water.
- The drip filtration method consists of the manual pour-over method and utilizes a conventional auto-drip machine.
- Pressurized infusion was invented centuries ago in Italy. It was used by Italians who needed a quick cup of coffee and used pressure to accelerate the process.
- Vacuum filtration is a strange-looking method for brewing coffee and involves a siphon.
- Decoction, sometimes referred to as cowboy coffee, involves boiling the brew to release flavour. Interestingly, Turkish coffee also employs this brewing method.
- The percolation method involves filtering the coffee grounds via water. The soluble compounds leave the filter to produce a fresh brew of delicious coffee.
- The sleeping method is an interesting technique. The ground coffee is placed in contact with cold or hot water for a specified period. The flavours are extracted from the coffee and into the water.
Closing Thoughts
Arabica beans are known for their superb flavour. Robusta beans are cheaper and have less taste but have more caffeine. The only way to produce the best possible beans is to ensure the optimal level of rain, temperature, and sunlight.
Even the topography, altitude, and soil microbiome will influence the coffee’s taste, flavour, and texture, which may explain why coffees from Brazil taste very different from the coffees produced in Kenya.
The farming techniques and equipment used will also have a significant impact. Proper irrigation, care, pruning, and fertilization are critical to producing the best coffee yields.
In terms of processing methods, the natural or dry processing method will tend to produce coffees with a more earthy flavour. Their acidity profile tends to be more restrained, and their viscosity tends to be thicker than most other blends.
Wet-processed or washed coffees tend to have a light to medium body. Their acidity is also brighter, and they tend to have a cleaner profile than their coffee counterparts.
As for the honey-prep process, the level of fruitiness that they produce tends to fall between the dry-and-wet methods. Moreover, the sweetness of pulp natural coffees tends to exhibit a sweetness that resembles caramel, brown sugar, honey, or other such flavours.
By Devon Graham
who is a blogger in Toronto. He graduated with honours from the University of British Columbia with a dual degree in Business Administration and Creative Writing. Devon Graham is a community manager for small businesses across Canada. He also likes to research various topics related to pets, food, storage solutions and business solutions.
Member since July, 2021
View all the articles of Devon Graham.
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