The body concepts of "full body," "medium body," and "light body" are often used when describing coffee brands. There is clearly a relationship between body and roast level (deeper roast means full body, lighter roast means lighter body), but in reality they are not equal.
I think I've sorted out this difficult-to-understand relationship once and for all.
I think I've sorted out this difficult-to-understand relationship once and for all.
Originally a wine term for body.
As you know, body is a common expression in the wine world.
Full-bodied wines have a deep, rich flavor, strength, weight, astringency (derived from tannins), and a strong aroma. It is mainly used to describe red wine, and is often used to refer to well-aged wines that have a high alcohol content.
On the other hand, light-bodied wines have a light texture and are easy to drink, and are typically found in fruity new sake that has not been aged.
Medium-bodied wines fall somewhere in between, meaning they are well-balanced.
Looking at it this way, a full-bodied drink can be said to have a heavy taste and aroma, a lot of ingredients in the liquid, and a heavy texture.
Full-bodied wines have a deep, rich flavor, strength, weight, astringency (derived from tannins), and a strong aroma. It is mainly used to describe red wine, and is often used to refer to well-aged wines that have a high alcohol content.
On the other hand, light-bodied wines have a light texture and are easy to drink, and are typically found in fruity new sake that has not been aged.
Medium-bodied wines fall somewhere in between, meaning they are well-balanced.
Looking at it this way, a full-bodied drink can be said to have a heavy taste and aroma, a lot of ingredients in the liquid, and a heavy texture.
Espresso body strength
When you think about this in terms of coffee, the difference is clearly noticeable when brewing with espresso.
When espresso is extracted under high pressure, the oils in the coffee emulsify and become viscous. This viscous texture and density determine the strength of the espresso's body.
A full-bodied espresso is creamy, sticky, and thick. The body of the espresso is weak, as it is a smooth and rather watery espresso.
As many of you may have noticed, the body of an espresso is not directly proportional to the degree of roasting. In other words, even with deep roasts, there are espressos with a weaker body.
There are many factors such as the quality of the coffee beans, roasting, extraction, etc., but you can see that it cannot simply be said that ``full body = deep roast''.
When espresso is extracted under high pressure, the oils in the coffee emulsify and become viscous. This viscous texture and density determine the strength of the espresso's body.
A full-bodied espresso is creamy, sticky, and thick. The body of the espresso is weak, as it is a smooth and rather watery espresso.
As many of you may have noticed, the body of an espresso is not directly proportional to the degree of roasting. In other words, even with deep roasts, there are espressos with a weaker body.
There are many factors such as the quality of the coffee beans, roasting, extraction, etc., but you can see that it cannot simply be said that ``full body = deep roast''.
Body closely related to mouthfeel
Full-bodied coffee is said to have a heavy texture, while espresso is creamy, viscous, and thick.
These expressions suggest that the mouthfeel, or the texture of the liquid that you feel when you put it in your mouth, has a lot to do with it.
In fact, in the cupping form of the Cup of Excellence method, the item most closely related to the body is ``Mouthfeel.'' In particular, strength is evaluated in three stages: High Body, Medium Body, and Low Body (in addition to strength, it is also necessary to evaluate the quality. Also, the SCAA method has an evaluation item called Body).
For this reason, body is said to simply mean texture. However, since texture also includes evaluations of the liquid itself, such as roughness and roundness, there is still a difference in whether texture and body are exactly the same.
These expressions suggest that the mouthfeel, or the texture of the liquid that you feel when you put it in your mouth, has a lot to do with it.
In fact, in the cupping form of the Cup of Excellence method, the item most closely related to the body is ``Mouthfeel.'' In particular, strength is evaluated in three stages: High Body, Medium Body, and Low Body (in addition to strength, it is also necessary to evaluate the quality. Also, the SCAA method has an evaluation item called Body).
For this reason, body is said to simply mean texture. However, since texture also includes evaluations of the liquid itself, such as roughness and roundness, there is still a difference in whether texture and body are exactly the same.
A uniquely Japanese expression “koku”
In Japan, there is a word that is very similar to body: ``Koku.'' This is also often equated with the body.
It is difficult to explain what koku refers to, and it is generally said to be an expression related to umami or sweetness, but when it is used in beverages that contain a lot of bitterness, such as coffee or beer, it can also be used to refer to bitterness. It is said to refer to the ``depth'' and ``breadth'' of flavor, and the ``sustainability'' of it remaining for a long time.
If you say that a deep, long-lasting flavor has body, and a lack of depth and a clean aftertaste has a weak body, there is nothing particularly strange about it, and you can understand that the richness and body are quite similar.
The only thing that bothers me is that "richness" is one of the words used to express deliciousness. In this respect, it cannot be used to mean the same thing as body (lack of body means not tasty, but of course there are coffees that are delicious even with a light body).
It is difficult to explain what koku refers to, and it is generally said to be an expression related to umami or sweetness, but when it is used in beverages that contain a lot of bitterness, such as coffee or beer, it can also be used to refer to bitterness. It is said to refer to the ``depth'' and ``breadth'' of flavor, and the ``sustainability'' of it remaining for a long time.
If you say that a deep, long-lasting flavor has body, and a lack of depth and a clean aftertaste has a weak body, there is nothing particularly strange about it, and you can understand that the richness and body are quite similar.
The only thing that bothers me is that "richness" is one of the words used to express deliciousness. In this respect, it cannot be used to mean the same thing as body (lack of body means not tasty, but of course there are coffees that are delicious even with a light body).
What is the body of filter coffee?
Coffee brewed with a filter, which is said to have a concentration of about one-tenth of espresso, does not have the same viscosity and concentration as espresso, so the body expression is slightly different.
The body of filter coffee varies greatly in areas such as the weight of the texture and the thickness of the flavor. Their sustainability also plays a big role.
Full-bodied coffee has a heavy texture and a heavy mouthfeel, with a long-lasting flavor. On the other hand, it can be said that light-bodied coffee has a light texture and a refreshing taste.
If we take into consideration the flavor trends due to roasting, we find that deeply roasted coffee with a lot of bitterness often has a heavy and deep flavor, while lightly roasted coffee with a strong acidity tends to have a full-on delicacy. I often feel refreshed when I come out.
These trends indicate that full-bodied coffee tends to be associated with dark roasts, while light-bodied coffee tends to be associated with light roasts.
However, this is not the same after all. There are coffees that are relatively light roasted but still have a good body, while there are also dark roasted coffees that lack depth and are not full-bodied.
Even with filter coffee, roast level and body are not directly proportional.
By the way, with filter coffee such as hand drip coffee, you can control the body by adjusting the amount of beans used and the grind size.
Considering this, it can be said that the body of a coffee depends on how thoroughly the flavor components of the coffee are extracted.
The body of filter coffee varies greatly in areas such as the weight of the texture and the thickness of the flavor. Their sustainability also plays a big role.
Full-bodied coffee has a heavy texture and a heavy mouthfeel, with a long-lasting flavor. On the other hand, it can be said that light-bodied coffee has a light texture and a refreshing taste.
If we take into consideration the flavor trends due to roasting, we find that deeply roasted coffee with a lot of bitterness often has a heavy and deep flavor, while lightly roasted coffee with a strong acidity tends to have a full-on delicacy. I often feel refreshed when I come out.
These trends indicate that full-bodied coffee tends to be associated with dark roasts, while light-bodied coffee tends to be associated with light roasts.
However, this is not the same after all. There are coffees that are relatively light roasted but still have a good body, while there are also dark roasted coffees that lack depth and are not full-bodied.
Even with filter coffee, roast level and body are not directly proportional.
By the way, with filter coffee such as hand drip coffee, you can control the body by adjusting the amount of beans used and the grind size.
Considering this, it can be said that the body of a coffee depends on how thoroughly the flavor components of the coffee are extracted.
And, although this is also an important factor, the aftertaste (aftertaste) is considered as a standard for evaluating coffee beans in the coffee industry, along with the body.
Good coffee has a long aftertaste. This is a term that comes up among coffee buyers and related parties.
Good coffee has a long aftertaste. This is a term that comes up among coffee buyers and related parties.
I would like to explain this concept of "after" on another occasion.
To summarize, a full-bodied coffee is one whose components are easily drawn out (drawn out) depending on the characteristics of the brand of coffee and the roasting process. Light-bodied drinks are those that are not too heavy and can be drunk refreshingly (often emphasis is placed on aroma).
When choosing coffee, thinking about the body once again may be an interesting way to choose coffee.
***
There are still many things that are not well known about the taste of coffee and its relationship with roasting. Together with all of you, we would like to learn and pursue even more.
To summarize, a full-bodied coffee is one whose components are easily drawn out (drawn out) depending on the characteristics of the brand of coffee and the roasting process. Light-bodied drinks are those that are not too heavy and can be drunk refreshingly (often emphasis is placed on aroma).
When choosing coffee, thinking about the body once again may be an interesting way to choose coffee.
***
There are still many things that are not well known about the taste of coffee and its relationship with roasting. Together with all of you, we would like to learn and pursue even more.
2022.03.23
CROWD ROASTER
CROWD ROASTER
