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CREATING THE FLAVOUR YOU FAVOUR There’s a lot more to the all-important processes involved in coffee making than meets the eye. This month, Retail World investigates how coffee flavours are created and which are the most popular as tastes change. ABy Emily Devon. ccording to Head Roaster at Paradox Coffee Roasters Paul Golding, the flavours and aromas created within coffee are derived from compounds that are present in the green beans and chemically altered by heat driven reactions during the roasting process. “The coffee variety, growing environment and processing method all contribute to the menu of sugars, carbohydrates and nitrogen compounds present in the green coffee, which lay the foundation for the coffee’s final flavour,” he said. This means the flavour of coffee comes down to the process by which it is made. Roasting trends Just reading the words ‘roasting trends’ is enough to send a waft of hot coffee bean scent through my nose. “The trend in coffee blends over the last year or so has been mainly in style and roast philosophy, rather than preferred origins,” Mr Golding said. It doesn’t take much to realise that visiting the local café is a luxury loved by many – with so many of us becoming self-proclaimed ‘foodies’ and ‘coffee connoisseurs’ via social media. “The demand is now from café owners and consumers pushing back to safer ground, with stronger, simpler and more comforting coffee blends,” Mr Golding said. So, what are the flavours that café owners and consumers are mostly chasing? “The most popular styles we sell present as either caramelly and rich, or crisp and fruity, but both need to be strong and milk focused,” Mr Golding said. Although, as mentioned, origins seem not to be a major factor compared with style and roast philosophy, Mr Golding notes that origins including Brazil, Indonesia, India and parts of Central America are in demand for the creation of rich, spicy, caramelly blends, while Colombia and east African sources such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania are the go-to origins for more fruity, crispy styles. I wondered, when beginning to research this topic, if flavour preference has anything to do with age or other demographic segments. But, as TO PAGE 44 AUG, 2020 RETAIL WORLD 43 COFFEE