Flavored coffee refers to your regular coffee, but it’s made tastier through natural or synthetic flavors. Unlike popular belief, this method has been around for decades. As a matter of fact, this method is as old as the coffee beans. With the passage of time, new flavors became popular among people across the globe. Let’s find out more.
The History
In the 1990s, the popularity of flavored coffee went up. As time went by, people got addicted to the flavors, especially the natural ones.
How Is Flavored Coffee Made?
The best method is to roast the green beans to get the natural aroma and flavor. Usually, huge tanks are used for roasting. They are heated at high temperatures that can be up to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. This process is completed in 15 minutes. Afterward, the beans are allowed to cool down. Also, during this process, a specific flavor is included in the tank.
Manufacturers choose different methods and flavors, but they mostly use oils and spices. The blending method is commonly used for this purpose. A flavored syrup is added to the coffee beans that form a layer around each grain. After this step, they are packed or put in a rotating cylinder for further processing.
3 Basic Flavoring Techniques
It’s possible to make flavored coffee using spices, nuts, natural herbs and food extracts. Synthetic flavors can also be used. Given below is the description of three simple flavor methods.
1) Real Food Flavors
The easiest flavoring method is to use raw nuts, herbs and real spices. Listed below are some common flavors:
- Almonds
- Cinnamon sticks
- Cocoa beans
- Hazelnuts
- Nutmeg seed
- Pecans
- Star anise
- Vanilla beans
- Whole cloves
- Whole peppers
Look:- The color and taste may be strange due to the flavoring agent.
Taste:- The flavoring taste won’t be strong and the notes may be subtle. So, the flavor will be natural.
Aroma:- The aroma or scent is not strong.
2) Real Food Extracts
These extracts are obtained from real herbs, nuts and spices. They are highly concentrated and feature an intense flavor. Typically, professional chemists use water-based or vegetable-based solvents for this purpose.
Look:- These coffee beans have rich oil shine based on the roast. Generally, it shares the look of roasted beans.
Taste:- The taste is moderately subtle and it’s more pronounced when you have the coffee with milk, cream and a bit of sugar.
Aroma:- The aroma is clean, powerful, and prominent, and there is no chemical smell.
3) Chemical Flavors
These flavors are created in labs by professional chemists. Generally, they are made using non-food chemicals like dimethyl, acetylthiazole and dimethylpyrazine. Often, they are blended with an organic compound such as propylene glycol.
Look:- These coffee beans have a thick oily residue that you can see in the coffee mugs and coffee pot.
Taste:- The coffee tastes sweeter than natural coffee beans.
Aroma:- The coffee has a sweet, overpowering aroma.
So, this was a brief introduction to how a flavored coffee is made. Hope this helps.
