Why Is Coffee Bitter?
When it comes to coffee, some people's first impression is, "Wow, it's bitter!"
Coffee is really bitter. And we find that Robusta coffee is usually more bitter than Arabica coffee. Dark roasted coffee is usually more bitter than lightly roasted coffee. Coffee left in a thermos for a while can be more bitter than freshly brewed coffee.
This is also true or false. Caffeine does make people feel bitter. However, caffeine is not affected by the degree of roasting, and we all feel that "coffee tends to be bitter the deeper it is roasted", which cannot be explained.
In addition, the caffeine in coffee does not increase over time. If we put the coffee in a cup, we also find the taste bitter. Apparently, there is no connection to caffeine.
So, how did the bitter taste in coffee come from?
There are substances in coffee that can make it bitter. Among them, caffeine is about 10%~15%, but it is only one tenth of the effect; Most of the remaining 90% of the bitterness comes from a substance called chlorogenic acid. Yes, it's called "acid", but chlorogenic acids themselves and their derivatives are the main sources of bitterness.
The reason why we usually say "Robusta coffee is more bitter than Arabica coffee" is that Robusta coffee usually contains more chlorogenic acid than Arabica coffee, with an average of about 10:8. The content of robusta and Arabica are both higher than Arabica, which naturally produces a more bitter taste.
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Firstly, the bitterness of coffee is related to its variety.
Then, chlorogenic acid itself is a fickle goblin. If the decomposition occurs due to heating and other reasons, chlorogenic acid will change into chlorogenic acid lactone. Chlorogenic acid has a bitter taste, but the bitterness is relatively mild. If the chlorogenic acid lactone is decomposed for a long time, the product will have a strong bitter taste.
In addition, the brown pigments in coffee will also change with the roasting process. The deeper the baking, the more macromolecular brown pigments that can bring higher texture and more obvious bitterness. Also, the proteins in coffee produce a bitter taste when heated.
The third problem may only be found by coffee drinkers: the bitterness of brewed coffee will gradually become apparent when it is stored in a thermos cup. Why is this?
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The reason is oxidation.
The pleasant sweet and sour taste and aroma substances in coffee come from some active acids and esters. From a nutritional point of view, these can also be called antioxidant substances. Once placed at a relatively high temperature for a long time, these substances are very easy to be oxidized - your thermos cup is only for heat preservation, but there is no vacuum. As a result, the coffee loses a lot of aroma, lively sour taste, etc., and the relatively stable bitter taste becomes more and more dominant.
However, if the heat preservation treatment is not done, the aroma substances in the coffee will be lost faster. When cooled, coffee is not only bitter but also acidic. So if you're going to drink it after a while, it's better to keep it in an insulated container.
Third, the longer the brewed coffee solution is stored, whether it is kept warm or not, it will become more and more bitter.
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Finally, over-extraction of coffee dissolves more of the bitter substances. Under-, normal and over-extraction of coffee is a subject that must be studied in coffee production and will not be explained too much here. Another factor is the quality of the green coffee beans, which can also be a source of bitterness.
Fourth, the quality and brewing level of coffee beans will also affect the performance of bitterness.
However, bitterness is not always bad. The bitterness that feels bad, such as burnt bitterness, should be avoided. A moderate amount of pleasant bitterness such as chocolate and nuts will give the coffee a long and informative aftertaste.
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