Why does the shape of the cup affect coffee flavor so much? Small details can also affect coffee.

Why does the shape of the cup have such a great influence on flavor?

If you know red wine or high-end wine, such as aged whisky, you may know the importance of the shape of the glass. Although you may know the cultural background of some wine glasses, few people know about the influence of glass shape on wine flavor. Take whisky as an example, the shape of the glass can greatly enhance or weaken people's perception of the aroma of the wine.

Looking back at the history of the shape of the glass, we may hear the name "Ridel WIne Glass Company". This is a wine glass factory located in Austria, which put forward the theory in 1973 that the shape of red wine glass affects the taste and aroma of red wine. When drinking red wine, people often use taller, larger glasses, while when drinking white wine, they use smaller glasses. For wine connoisseurs, the choice of glass shape is a compulsory course.

In 2015, Japanese scientists invented an "olfactory detection camera" that can detect images of ethanol vapor emitted from wine glasses. Then they used the camera to test wine glasses of different shapes, different kinds of red wines and red wines at different temperatures. Through the study, they found the effects of different shapes of wine glasses on the concentration and position of ethanol vapor at the mouth of the cup.

Let's give a brief introduction: red wine is made from fermented grapes. Different brewing methods and types of grapes will create different flavors of red wine. Like coffee, the factors that affect the flavor of red wine include: soil, grape species, origin, processing technology and brewing year. In the end, the red wine will show its final quality through different aroma molecules and flavors. Aroma components are the main source of rich taste of red wine, which is released on the surface of red wine with steam after air contact. When we shake the glass to improve the aroma, because the aroma of fruit and minerals is heavier, while the alcohol is lighter, shaking can make the alcohol more volatile and release the aroma of the wine itself.

Do you find that the diameter of the mouth of a wine glass is different? Its purpose is to release the aroma, and the concentration of the aroma is closely related to the caliber.

Let's take the red wine glass and white wine glass just mentioned as an example. Red wine usually has a more full-bodied, heavy aroma and a higher alcohol content. So red wine needs a larger glass, which is usually taller and has a larger caliber. This means that the glass has a larger capacity, captures more aroma molecules in the wine, and makes the alcohol in the wine evaporate better with the shaking. White wines, by contrast, are usually drunk at a lower temperature, with a more refined aroma and a lower alcohol content. White wine glasses are usually smaller in height and caliber, and the smaller surface area can better retain the aromatic steam slowly released at low temperatures, making the aroma more refined and highlighting its fruit aroma. At the same time, the cup is smaller and easier for people to get close to and smell.

For taste, the shape of the glass can help control the flow rate and distribution of the wine. The caliber and angle of the mouth of the cup will affect the contact between the lips and the mouth of the cup and control the speed of the wine flowing to the tongue. The ratio of the widest part of the glass to the diameter of the mouth will affect the final angle of the wine inflow. All of these factors affect your tongue's perception of wine, which in turn affects your perception of taste.

For coffee cups, the shape of the cup is more or less the same. perhaps the design and manufacturer of the coffee cup are not aware of the impact of shape on the coffee experience. You will choose a glass when drinking wine, so when drinking coffee, you should also choose a suitable cup to release its flavor better, shouldn't you? After all, coffee has more than 1000 flavors and aroma components (four times that of wine). If wine and spirits culture have their own special glasses to enhance the flavor experience, then coffee should also have its own utensils so that everyone can fully appreciate its flavor.