Is espresso rich in oil or bad? why do experts recommend drinking concentrated and de-greased coffee?

Fat is an integral part of espresso. The color of the oil is similar to that of caramel. it has a delicate texture and a light taste. It is a bubble formed by hot water releasing the oil from the coffee beans. Fat was first discovered in 1948, thanks to the pressure bar espresso machine invented by Achille Gaggia, a coffee shop owner in Milan.

For a long time, the answer has been: yes, but more and more coffee experts are beginning to advise people to scrape off the coffee oil when drinking espresso. What's going on here?

James Hoffmann, a coffee expert from the UK and champion of the 2007 World Barista Competition (WBC), said the practice of scraping off grease first appeared in 2009. In a report published in 2013 in Serious Eats, author Erin Meister wrote: "the grease tastes dry, earthy and bitter, which affects the overall taste of coffee. Scraping off the grease makes sense in theory. It can not only remove the earthy and bitter taste, but also prevent the mouth from being covered with grease and keep the taste buds clean. " On a recent visit to Jacobsen & Svart Coffee Roasters, Kennth Robertsen, a Norwegian barista and baker, encouraged me to try two espresso cups, one de-greased and the other reserved. The taste of the two cups of coffee is completely different. The coffee without fat tastes better and reflects the fruity and slightly fresh taste of the coffee.

"in the past, thick fat meant that coffee was good." "but we noticed that grease masks some of the subtle flavors of coffee and makes it more bitter," Robertsen said. If you stir it in or scrape it off, the taste of coffee will be completely different. "

Robertsen said that the oil contains carbon dioxide, which increases the bitterness, so coffee that scrapes off the oil tastes more refined and balanced.

The practice of scraping off grease only became popular five years ago, and not everyone agrees. "it's up to the barista himself." "this is not a routine practice," he said. "

Now I haven't decided how to drink espresso in the future, but I already know that oil will mask the unique characteristics of coffee. Meister may have given the best answer in his article: "Whiskey can't be over-diluted so that coffee can be masked by burnt and bitter taste."