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Coffee Chemistry
Scientists have identified more than 2,000 compounds that make up tastes and smells. A whopping 400 of them - 20% - are found in coffee. That's why coffee is so interesting to the palate. It's complex!
Gas spectrographs - devices that measure flavor profiles - have identified an unmatched range of flavors in coffee, from Darjeeling tea, chocolate, vanilla and violets to truffles, soup and cheese!
You may be surprised to learn that such a powerful flavor as coffee could be described as "delicate." But that's the case with properly roasted Arabica bean coffees.
Two beans, or not two beans
Coffee beans come in two varieties, hardy Robusta and lighter Arabica. Arabica beans are harder to grow, and hence more expensive to buy, but they yield less acidic, more aromatic beverages. And they have almost half the caffeine and stomach-upsetting oils of Robusta.
Different coffee beans want to be roasted differently. Delicate Arabica beans may be used to produce an extremely dark, almost burnt French roast, but the longer roasting period destroys the delicate compounds that give the beans their intricate flavor notes of flowers, fruit and honey.
In the end, coffee is certainly demonstrating its chemistry with consumers. The world's leading coffee retailer reports that 35 million customers plunked down US $6.4 billion in the fiscal year ending October 2, 2005. If you're in the restaurant business, those are numbers that are sure to quicken your pulse.
The author has been known to negotiate payment in dark chocolate.
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