Coffee Flavor

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The popularity of coffee as major nonalcoholic and socializing drink all over the world is as a result of its refreshing flavor. Raw coffee bean has a pealike flavor that is completely different from what we call the popular coffee flavor. Although the initial chemical composition of the raw coffee bean has a role in the formation of coffee flavor by providing the precursors, roasting is arguably the most important process for flavor formation. During roasting, the coffee bean undergoes several chemical and physical changes that begin with the loss of moisture content. The individual chemicals present in the raw bean such as amino acids and sugars react in the reaction called Maillard and produce key aroma impact compounds such as pyrazines, furfural, thiols, and furanones. The degradation of phenolic acids such as ferulic acid produces another key aroma compound 4-vinyl-guaiacol, and the degradation of trigonelline produces pyridines. The formation of these flavor compounds is influenced greatly by the degree of roasting and to the lesser extent by the species, varieties, and geographical origin of the raw coffee bean. The development of advanced analytical techniques in recent years has improved the efficiency and accuracy of the detection and quantification of coffee flavor compounds.