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The Role of Color in Coffee Sensory

C an you taste a color? Not really, not in the literal sense. But if I present you
with an orange sherbet, you might say it tastes “like an orange” or “fruity”,
before you try it. When we think about the taste of something, we’re real-
ly thinking about a combination of its flavor and texture. Flavor is deter-
mined by a food or drink’s smell, taste, and chemosensory properties, which are detected
by our nose and tongue. Texture, on the other hand, is determined by food or drink consis-
tency, which is detected by our sense of touch. Our sense of sight is what perceives the
color of what we are about to consume. And although we can’t taste them, it is widely ac-
cepted that certain colors can evoke specific flavors in our minds. For example, the color
red is often associated with sweetness, while the color green is often associated with sourness.
In the case of coffee, color has a special role both when it comes to sensory. Most of us would
associate the color brown with the taste of coffee. But there is just so much more than that.
Understanding how color is connected to coffee will not only help us roast coffee better, it
will also open up our minds to a whole new world of tasting experiences.

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