如何挑選才能買到有甜感的豆子 How to Select Beans to Find Ones with a Sweet Taste?
這杯咖啡好甜喔~~~當一杯咖啡聞或喝起來甜感飽滿，或帶有酸甜滋味時，就是像吃到甜點一樣身心滿足~原來咖啡甜感不只會平衡酸質，還會平衡心情呢！不過，要怎麼選豆才能挑到甜滋滋的豆子呢？
This coffee is so sweet ! When a cup of coffee smells or tastes sweet and satisfying, or has a sweet and sour flavor, it's like indulging in a dessert and brings contentment to both the mind and body. Interestingly, the sweetness in coffee not only balances acidity but also balances emotions. But how do you choose beans to find those delightfully sweet ones?
咖啡的糖分來自咖啡樹吸收大自然的養分，並存積在果實的種子內，即我們烘焙的咖啡豆；喝咖啡的甜感來自這天然的糖份並經過烘焙後保留下來，烘焙過程中產生各式甜香氣味分子，並適當的保留甜感，再由沖煮而到咖啡杯中。因此二個重要因素影響了品飲的甜感，其一為咖啡生豆含有大量的糖分，其二為烘焙師保留足夠的甜感。
The sweetness in coffee comes from the natural sugars absorbed by coffee trees, which accumulate in the seeds inside the fruit, also known as the coffee beans we roast. The sweetness we taste in coffee comes from these natural sugars, which are preserved after the roasting process. During roasting, various sweet aromas are produced, and the appropriate level of sweetness is retained, ending up in your coffee cup through brewing. Therefore, two important factors influence the sweetness of the coffee drinking experience. First, the coffee beans must contain a significant amount of sugars, and second, the roaster must preserve sufficient sweetness.
生長環節
咖啡生豆要有大量的糖分，每一個生長環節都很重要。種子用阿拉比卡豆會比羅布斯塔豆來的甜；土壤肥沃養分飽滿，雨水充足適量，陽光充足在北迥歸線以南、南迥歸線以北，以行光合作用產生葡萄糖保存在種子；海拔夠高、日夜溫差大、延緩生長時間，或有適當的遮蔭樹延緩生長時間；適合的生豆處理經驗，掌握生豆採收期、發酵過程、乾燥保存等，以將最優質且甜滋滋的生豆交到下一個烘焙環節。
Growth Factors:
For coffee beans to have abundant sugars, each growth factor is crucial. Arabica beans tend to be sweeter than Robusta beans. Fertile soil with ample nutrients, adequate rainfall, and sufficient sunlight in regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn support the process of photosynthesis, which produces glucose stored in the seeds. High altitude, significant temperature differences between day and night, prolonged growth periods, or appropriate shading trees can also contribute to sweetness. Proper handling of the beans during processing, including knowing the ideal harvesting time, fermentation process, and drying methods, ensures the delivery of the highest quality and sweetest beans to the next stage of roasting.
烘焙環節
烘焙師要能保留足夠的甜感，對生豆特性的掌握度要很好，有夠多的烘焙經驗，並參考生豆商的風味特性等來制定烘焙計畫，在烘焙出風味飽滿的同時，保留咖啡的甜感，即拿捏得當的烘焙甜蜜點。當甜感保留得當時，不論是淺焙、或深焙，都有烘焙特性下的甜感支撐，淺焙基本上酸甜平衡、喝起來不酸、卻有淺焙的花果香；深焙基本上苦甜平衡、喝起來不苦、卻有深焙的醇厚濃郁。
Roasting Factors:
Roasters must retain sufficient sweetness by understanding the characteristics of the green beans. They should have extensive roasting experience and consider the flavor profiles provided by the green bean suppliers when formulating the roasting plan. While aiming for a full-bodied flavor, they must preserve the coffee's sweetness, achieving a well-balanced and sweet result. When the sweetness is well-preserved, both light and dark roasts can exhibit their respective characteristics. Light roasts generally offer a balanced sweet and tangy flavor with floral and fruity aromas, while dark roasts provide a balanced bittersweet taste with a rich and mellow flavor.
│延伸閱讀: 咖啡師如何捕捉烘焙甜蜜點
│Further reading: How Baristas Capture the Roasting Sweet Spot
當咖啡喝起來甜感低、或不甜的時候，有可能是上述的環節沒掌握好，即生豆沒有大量的糖分、烘焙師沒保留足夠的甜感，但也可能是沖煮沒把甜感掌握住，如果沖煮很熟煉，那很有可能就是咖啡不夠甜了；所以我們有時也可以把咖啡甜不甜作為判斷豆子好壞的參考。本質上不甜的豆子，就不會做淺焙，那只有酸、沒有酸甜平衝，寧可做深焙、至少不會酸到沒人買、卻有烘焙的焙火香。
If a cup of coffee tastes low in sweetness or not sweet at all, it could be due to a lack of control in the aforementioned factors. It may indicate that the green beans didn't contain sufficient sugars or that the roaster failed to retain enough sweetness. It's also possible that the brewing method didn't bring out the sweetness. If the brewing process is over-extracted, it can result in a less sweet coffee. Therefore, the sweetness can be a reference for judging the quality of the beans. Essentially, beans that lack sweetness are not suitable for light roasting as they will be too acidic without a balanced sweetness. It's better to opt for a dark roast to avoid excessive acidity while enjoying the roasted flavors.
要買到甜感高的咖啡，上述環節都要有，所以成本就不低，基本上價格反應出咖啡成本；再來就是烘焙師的經驗能不能保留甜感，基本上從咖啡的風味描述上可以看出豆子甜感的走向，例如2023年TOH水洗組第一名肯亞的豆子描述: 烏梅甘甜多汁、Body厚實、甜梅尾韻綿長、濃郁甜味結構多汁等，就是一個從頭甜到尾、卻有烏梅香的優質豆子。精品咖啡人似乎都愛那優質的酸、並帶有那甜姿姿的觸動、在風味飽滿下的味蕾感動。
To buy coffee with a high level of sweetness, all the aforementioned factors must be present. This implies higher costs as the price generally reflects the coffee's quality. Additionally, the roaster's experience in retaining sweetness is crucial. The flavor description of the coffee can provide insights into the sweetness of the beans. For example, a description of the top-ranked Kenyan coffee in the 2023 TOH Washed category includes: Plum-like sweetness, juicy, full-bodied, lingering sweet plum aftertaste, and intense and juicy sweetness structure. It represents a high-quality bean that is consistently sweet from start to finish, with plum flavor. Specialty coffee lover seem to love the exquisite acidity and the tantalizing touch of sweetness, creating a delightful sensation on their taste buds amidst the full-bodied flavors.
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