In recent years, the coffee industry has grown remarkably and has become the mainstream beverage. What is particularly noteworthy in this growth is the participation of individuals rather than companies. An individual who used to be one of the coffee consumers is now becoming a coffee producer.
We do drink coffee every day and nowadays, it has become the most favorite drink for us. But why do we like coffee so much? There could be many possible reasons why we consume coffee a lot, however, we can also say it is because of coffee’s unique aroma. Whenever we go to cafes, when we enter the door, we can smell the fresh aroma of coffee that makes us feel energetic and great. But have you ever wondered why the smell of coffee is so nice?
According to science, coffee has unique properties that stimulate a human’s sense of smell. That’s why you just keep drinking more than one cup of coffee every day and feel good whenever you grab it. For some people, whether they had a cup of coffee in the morning or not has a strong effect on their mood strongly. It may make them boost your emotions or ruin your feeling badly if you do not have one. So, today, in this article, we are going to find out the science behind coffee aroma and its effects on our mood.
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Coffee Mind Aroma Wheel
The coffee mind aroma wheel has been a very useful tool for the coffee experts because we can think of the words easily about the coffee taste. This is also one of the popular tools to use for those who want to find out coffee flavor or aroma.
There are several types of coffee aroma that we can smell, including flowery, nutty, smoky, herby. When we talk about this topic, we cannot miss mentioning the taste of coffee as well such as acidity, bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and sourness according to the coffee wheel. Without a doubt, coffee flavor and taste are the main things to determine our coffee preference. And the crucial factor to make a good coffee aroma is the roasting process. Based on how you do the coffee roasting, you will feel the completely different taste and aroma of your coffee.
What is Coffee Aroma?
Basically, coffee aroma is the smell of coffee in the simplest way. Besides the four main types of aroma that you just read from the coffee mind aroma wheel, there are more than 800 aromatics in coffee according to the specific testing or experiments. Because it is released with flavorful combinations through the air, therefore, the more coffee fresh, the more smell it has.
Fresh coffee not only tastes good but also has a strong fresh aroma that you can feel. Anyway, the process of roasting determines the level of your coffee smell. In short, if the roasts are getting darker, then it means you are going to have a strong coffee aroma, giving a better feeling to you while enjoying coffee. Moreover, coffee flavor is considered as one of the top factors that professional coffee tasters or lovers use to judge the quality of the coffee.
What Is Coffee Aroma And Its Relation To Coffee Taste?
Actually, the green original coffee beans themselves do not have much smell. And coffee aroma comes through the roasting process which makes the coffee aroma unique and a nice coffee. And, what we think as a flavor, in fact, is a coffee aroma. As we mentioned, there are several different types of taste such as salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. When you feel these tastes with your tongue, it is flavor, and when you receive them in your nose, then it is the aroma. Additionally, coffee aroma and its taste have a very close relation. For instance, if the coffee is full of rich flavor, then the scent of that coffee will be very rich as well.
Which Component Creates Which Aroma?
The coffee aroma is actually formed with various components such as protein, acid, and carbohydrates, and so on according to some scientific facts. And these different components create different flavors and tastes of coffee during the roasting process. Below are the common components that created a unique and fresh coffee aroma.
- Pyrazines can create a nuttiness aroma so that you can smell it even with a very little amount of coffee. Therefore, it is one of the most important and most contributable components to the coffee aroma.
- The breakdown of amino acids can produce a coffee aroma that is sweet and fruity.
- Ketones contribute to coffee aroma a lot and the smell is very aromatic as a result of the auto-oxidation of fatty acids. Ketones usually create a fruity or musty aroma.
How Do We Perceive Coffee Aroma?
Now we have some ideas of how the coffee aroma is formed with those components and what kind of aroma that they can produce. But you should also be aware that it is perceived in many various ways.
According to the research, it is proven that there are more than 800 components created during the roasting process. However, only less than 30 of them actually contribute to the coffee taste and aroma actually. Then the components are balancing each other to produce the best flavor and aromatic coffee.
If you pay attention to making a cup of coffee, you will see the scent difference between the grounding coffee and the cup of coffee with water. When you smell the grounded coffee beans, then you will smell all of those aromas. But if you add water to it to make a cup of coffee, then you will smell a quite different aroma compared to before. It is simply because some of the components are extracted while mixing with water.
One more thing that you should pay attention to is the level of the extraction that we just mentioned above. Because the components extract at different levels since they are all different. And based on the extraction level, the coffee aroma will be changed as well.
By understanding how the coffee aroma is created and produced, you will have a clear idea of how to brew coffee in order to get your favorite aroma and taste.
The Best Smelling Coffee And How To Choose It
It is so obvious that the best-selling coffee is the fresh cup of coffee that is just roasted. It is simply because if you roast for a long time, then the coffee would lose its unique aroma and flavor. Therefore, if you are very sensitive to it and need a very fresh cup of coffee, we recommend you directly buy the coffee beans from a coffee roaster, not from stores.
Coffee Aroma And Its Effects On Your Moods
It is not surprising that coffee is consumed more than 4000 billion cups every year around the globe. But, many people think that it is only because of the caffeine that only coffee has to make us energetic. However, it is not only because of its unique taste but its psychological effects that result in our good mood thanks to the attractive scent. The pleasure of drinking coffee starts from its aroma.
It is scientifically proven that the olfactory system controls our mood a lot. If you smell something bad, then you will knit your brows and you will feel bad as well. However, if you smell a good shampoo aroma, for example, your mood will be fresh and nice as well. And the same goes for the coffee aroma. Coffee is one of the top beverages that regulations our brain and mood a lot. Without a doubt, consuming coffee shows you the significant effects on your mood, memory, and so on.
Moreover, a good coffee aroma can make you feel better and let you feel the pleasure of your work as well. That’s why some people even call coffee a pleasure drug. Obviously, it really affects our mood in a very positive way. If you don’t believe it, you can do a simple experiment. For instance, if you do not feel good, then go and grab a cup of coffee and drink it. You will notice that your bad mood is becoming better and better. It will make you feel relaxed and calm down in a good mood. Additionally, the coffee smell can release your headache from a stressful work or study environment.
Apart from this, there is another reason why coffee lovers or drinkers love the smell of coffee. It is simply because coffee contains almost every attractive scent that a human olfactory likes so much. Therefore, the coffee aroma just magnetically attracts our olfactory and makes us feel so much good. Overall, coffee plays a significant role in our daily life, and without it, many people will face a bad mood with heavy stress and withdrawal. Because the scent of coffee is just so distinguishable with any other drinks or food and every single cup of coffee gives us the pleasure of life.
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