Lingle, R
Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA)
Long Beach: SCAA, 1992
The problem in understanding coffee's flavor
stems from its complexity. More than 400 organic and inorganic
chemical compounds contribute to the flavor of coffee. A coffee
flavor language must reflect both the trade and lay terminology
used by non-chemists - for example, green coffee growers,
importers, brokers, buyers, and roasters - as well as the
precise scientific terminology of chemists, chemical engineers,
food technologists, and flavorists. This handbook offers a
method for explaining and describing the sensory effects of
the basic simulations in the palate of coffee's aroma, taste,
and body. It does not presume to be the definitive text. Section
1 describes olfaction, gustation, and mouthfeel, as well as
the primary chemical components of coffee's flavor. Section
2 enumerates the taints and faults that interfere with the
flavor of coffee. Section 3 of the handbook lists the sequential
steps involved in coffee cupping, from sample through the
evaluation of aroma, taste, and body. A glossary is included
offering a vocabulary for differentiating among coffees of
similar taste based on their aromatic properties.