Basic Coffee Terms

Not everyone who is addicted to coffee understands the terms of this drink.

Let’s “check out” some coffee terms that you may not know.

Acidity, Acidy, Acid- acidity

Acidity, along with flavor, aroma and body, are concepts used by coffee tasters. Acidity is the mild sourness found in good coffee. The term is synonymous with pH, sourness or in many cases any component of coffee that causes indigestion or restlessness in the drinker.

Aged coffee/ Vintage coffee

Traditionally, coffee is stored in a warehouse for several years, either intentionally or accidentally. This reduces the acidity and increases the body of the coffee.

Arabica

The earliest coffee variety to be grown, and to this day is the most widely grown. 70% of the world’s coffee production is Arabica. It is considered a higher quality than Robusta.

Aroma

The aromatic smell of freshly brewed coffee. Good coffee made from fresh coffee (coffee beans that have not been left for long after roasting) will have this smell.

Aroma là mùi hương tỏa ra từ một tách cà phê nóng

Balance

A term used to describe the flavor of a coffee in which no one characteristic is more dominant than the others.

Barista

An Italian term for a trained and experienced espresso maker.

Body

The feeling of fullness or fullness of a coffee when drinking it.

Caffeine

A bitter, odorless alkaloid found in coffee and tea.

Cherry

A general term for the fruit of the coffee plant. Each cherry contains two equal beans.

Cherry

Cupping – Coffee Testing

A procedure used by coffee tasters to evaluate the quality of coffee beans. Several types of beans are evaluated, each type is ground and poured into different cups and then water is added. The experts take turns testing with hot and cold water. The standard procedure involves taking a deep breath, then slurping the coffee so that it quickly flows to the underside of the tongue.

Cupping

Clean – Clean Coffee

A term used in the coffee cupping process to refer to coffee that has a pure, unadulterated, and undamaged flavor.

Complexity

A term used to describe a coffee that has a sense of multiple layers of flavor, and that the flavors change and rotate, while also providing a sense of depth and resonance.

Crema

The light brown foam on the surface of a properly brewed espresso from quality coffee beans.

Finish

The sensation of the coffee’s flavor when swallowed. Many coffees give quite different impressions of the first sip and the feeling of the coffee filling the mouth.

Flavor

A description of the acidity, fullness, and aroma of the coffee.