Should coffee be sour? where does coffee sour come from? is coffee sour all right?

Many people who drink fine coffee for the first time will have this reaction-why is it so sour? Why do people have this question? because our inherent impression of coffee is that coffee is bitter. Today, I would like to talk about the "sour" in coffee through this article. I hope it can help you solve your doubts.

First, let's take a look at the source of the sour taste in coffee:

Coffee beans contain more than 30 organic acids, some of which provide "sour taste" for coffee, such as citric acid, malic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid (phosphoric acid is inorganic acid), tartaric acid, lactic acid and so on. These acids are affected by heat during baking, and most of them decompose slowly (with exceptions), so overall, as the baking time increases, the amount of organic acids that provide sour taste becomes less and less. Therefore, the deeper the roasting of coffee beans, the lower the acidity, on the contrary, the higher the acidity.

When you look at this, you may wonder: why do you want to do shallow baking?

In a word, the answer is, "light baking, coffee's unique high-quality flavor, acidity and so on can be retained."

Here is about to explain the concept of "boutique coffee". To put it simply, boutique coffee is high-quality coffee, with more special and pleasant flavor, high-quality acidity, and delicate taste than ordinary coffee beans. If you want to get such a cup of coffee, you have to start from the source, that is, the variety and cultivation of coffee.

Variety and planting environment (such as soil, altitude, temperature, precipitation, light conditions, etc.) can determine the quality of coffee fruit, while the subsequent harvest and processing of coffee fruit determine the quality of raw beans; the roasting method determines the quality of ripe beans; extraction is the last step to determine the quality of coffee in the cup. In addition, the way coffee beans are stored and even the cups used to drink coffee will have an impact on the taste of coffee.

Light roasted coffee beans can retain special native flavor and high quality and obvious acidity (such as the well-known flavors of flowers and fruits, as well as acids similar to fresh and ripe fruits). With the extension of the baking time, the pyrolysis reaction continues, these flavor substances and sour substances will gradually decompose, and the sugar will gradually decompose, so the acidity will decrease, and the local flavor and fruit acid and sugar will gradually decrease, on the contrary, the bitterness and alcohol thickness will increase, and the caramelized flavor (such as caramel, baked nuts, chocolate, spices, etc.) will increase.

Human beings have been drinking coffee for hundreds of years, and people are not satisfied with the need for refreshing, but to increase the pursuit of drinking experience on this basis. Not only coffee, people's pursuit of tea and wine is the same. Therefore, drinking boutique coffee, not only to meet the physiological needs of caffeine, but also to meet the quality of sensory experience.

When you bake coffee with obvious acidity before drinking it for the first time, people will feel uncomfortable and even ask, "is this coffee bad?" Why is it so sour? " This reminds me that when many people eat medium rare's steak for the first time, they will wonder, "Why isn't this steak cooked?" Yes, light-roasted coffee beans are like medium rare's steak. after trying it once or twice, I feel that it is normal and like it. Of course, the meat quality should be good enough!

So, are all the sour tastes good?

Of course not.

In brewed coffee, high-quality acidity will be easily accepted, because the well-brewed coffee will be sour and sweet enough, which will make the acidity of the coffee softer, easier to accept, and even have a good feeling. as refreshing as fresh juice

On the contrary, if the coffee is not made well, it is often out of balance, either the acidity is too strong, the sweetness is too weak, or the bitterness is obvious, which will affect how we feel about the acid. Therefore, the delicious coffee should be sour and sweet, but not simple and sour.

How to judge the sour quality of a cup of coffee?

Mass consumers: like ripe fresh fruit, it tastes sweet and sour, comfortable and soft, making coffee more fresh in the mouth. Such acid is good acid.

Professional assessment:

1. The strength of acid

High-quality acid needs to have a certain strength, not too high to completely overwhelm other flavors, nor too low to be almost imperceptible.

2. Whether it has the characteristics of ripe fresh fruit

Coffee fruit itself is fruit, so the acidity of high-quality coffee will be as refreshing as fresh and ripe fruit (there will be exceptions in different processing methods)

3. Whether there is enough sweet support

The sweetness is too low to support the acidity, which will be more exciting, such as raw fruit or vinegar; on the contrary, if the acidity is too low, it will make the coffee drink flatter, just like the kind of orange that is only sweet but not sour.

Article source: XYZ COFFEE