When it comes to coffee preference, many people tend to say "I don't like sourness" or "I like to be a little less acidic".
Of course, there are some people who prefer sour coffee to bitter coffee. Coffee flavors vary from person to person.
Why do many people not like the sour taste of coffee?Let's talk about the sour taste of coffee
Why is coffee sour?
Coffee beans are the seeds of the fruit of the coffee tree (Coffea officinalis).
Coffee cherries have a sour taste like other fruits, so coffee beans are naturally sour.
The natural acidity of coffee is described as "refreshing", "fresh" and "fruity" and compared to citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits, berry fruits, etc.
Does it really taste like fruit?You'll be amazed (and even hooked on coffee) when you actually feel it, it's an amazing process.
There is a cupping item called "acidity" on the specialty coffee cupping chart (the standard by which coffee is judged at coffee shows), which shows that the acidity of coffee is very important.
Why do some people hate sour tastes?
Although acidity is important for coffee, there are still many people who don't like it. Don't you think it's weird?
There are actually two kinds of sourness: good sourness and bad sourness.
Good acidity is a fruity flavor that, as mentioned earlier, has a freshness that rivals fruit.
On the other hand, a bad sour taste is an unpleasant sour taste that can make our mouth feel uncomfortable and cause the body to instinctively reject it.
Although the sourness is the same, the taste is completely different.
The reason for the bad acidity is that the coffee beans have gone bad.
Every food has an optimal time to eat and drink, but its quality deteriorates over time. For example, just as spoiled food can give off an unpleasant sour taste, coffee beans can also develop an unpleasant sour taste as they grow over time.
This can be mistaken for the sour taste of coffee, resulting in the impression that people don't like sour coffee.
Even if it starts to have a sour taste due to deterioration, it doesn't mean that it has rotted, so it's not that you can't drink it, but it doesn't taste very comfortable.
No matter how good the coffee beans are, they can't resist spoilage.
So how can you enjoy good acidity?
The most important thing is to drink coffee while the beans are fresh.
If the coffee beans are fresh, an unpleasant sour taste is less likely.
Coffee beans start to spoil after roasting.
When roasting coffee beans, gases are produced and aromas are released at the same time.
The longer it passes, the lighter the aroma and the stronger the spicy sourness.
Coffee beans can be difficult to use up immediately after purchase, so if you buy freshly roasted coffee beans, you can enjoy good acidity for a while.
Another thing is to choose coffee beans that are known for their delicious acidity. For example, the most commonly heard of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is very clean, soft and bright in acidity.