In this lecture from Re:co Symposium 2023, Dr. Nancy Cordoba of the Flavor Research and Education Center at Ohio State University discusses research into coffee sweetness. 

She covers recent CSF-supported research confirming that, counterintuitively, the sweetness in coffee does not come from sugars in the bean, and she explores the mystery this creates: if sugars do not make coffee taste sweet, what could be the reason for the sweet taste of high-quality coffee? 

Recommended for researchers, roasters, processors, and anyone wanting to understand recent science on coffee sweetness. 

Watch the lecture on the SCA Youtube channel.

Researchers Dr. Nancy Cordoba and Dr. Devin Peterson, joined by Peter Giuliano, share early results of a multiyear Coffee Science Foundation research project, undertaken at the Flavor Research and Education Center at Ohio State University, to establish foundational knowledge about the phenomenon of sweetness in coffee. 

The research found that sweetness in coffee is a real phenomenon that tasters can consistently perceive. The article also explores potential hypotheses, including whether sweetness could be caused by sugars, aromatic compounds, or other factors. 

This resource is great for trainers, roasters, researchers, and anyone trying to understand one of coffee’s ongoing mysteries: what makes it sweet? 

Access the article free with an SCA Portal account (choose Associate Member).