Coffee

About

Coffee's complexity comes from multiple processing stages, with over 800 aroma compounds identified in the roasted bean. Green (unroasted) beans have little aroma; roasting expands the bean and develops flavor, with lighter roasts (9-11 minutes) staying closer to the bean's origin character and darker, oilier roasts (12-13 minutes) tasting spicier and more chocolatey. Coffee can carry notes of black currant, coriander seed, clove, vanilla, chocolate and nuts, and is the base for liqueurs like Tia Maria and Kahlúa, which differ notably in character.

Pairs well with coffee

• CiOrangeOrange and coffee appear together in marmalade, ice cream, tiramisu and homemade liqueurs.
• WoAlmondRoasted coffee is one of the most chemically complex flavors, and its nutty character-commonly compared to walnut, but also to almond or…
• SpCinnamonCinnamon's sweetness rounds out coffee flavor in baking; in Mexico, a cinnamon stick is sometimes used to stir coffee directly.
• RoChocolateMatari (mocha) coffee beans from Yemen's port of Moka have a naturally rich, chocolate-like aftertaste, which inspired drinks combining…
• CiGingerSeventeenth-century English coffeehouses served coffee black with optional ginger, clove, cinnamon or spearmint.
• MeBeefCoffee is used as a marinade or rub for beef in the American South, and appears in some restaurants where chefs use it as a rub, based on…
• FfVanillaAffogato, espresso poured over vanilla ice cream, works because the protein in dairy binds to coffee's tannins, softening its bitterness,…
• GrAvocadoAvocado is treated as a fruit in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, blended into a milk-and-sugar shake sometimes flavored with…
• RoSesameToasting sesame seeds produces furfurylthiol, a compound with a roasted coffee or meat-like aroma, more pronounced in white seeds than…
• ChGoat CheeseNorwegian ekte gjetost, made by cooking whey left over from cheesemaking until its lactose caramelizes and then setting it into blocks,…
• CrBananaBanoffee pie layers a pastry or digestive-biscuit base with caramel, banana slices and coffee-flavored cream; a biscuit base is often…
• CrDateA little dark-roast coffee added to date purée gives it a caramel-like depth.
• WoWalnutWalnuts have a faintly bitter, almost smoky character that pairs naturally with coffee, most classically in coffee-and-walnut cake, which…
• GrFennelFennel syrup or a shot of ouzo can revive cold coffee, since coffee loses much of its aromatic complexity as it cools (professional…
• CrPrunePoaching fruit in sweetened, diluted leftover coffee, a technique originally used for pears, works particularly well with prunes, whose…
• RoMaple syrupCoffee and maple syrup share many flavor compounds, which can make the syrup's finer notes hard to distinguish when the two are combined…
• BeCranberryCoffee, like chocolate, has a roasted complexity that doesn't overpower other flavors as easily.
• EaBarleyDuring World War II, coffee shortages in Italy popularized caffe d'orzo, a coffee substitute made from roasted barley.
• EaBlack beanSome fresh beans, including borlotti and various heirloom varieties, can taste strongly of ground coffee.
• CiCardamomBedouin-style Arabic coffee grinds coffee beans and cardamom together in roughly equal measure, a preparation also common in North Africa;…
• WoPecanWalnuts' skin bitterness and dense texture make coffee-and-walnut a classic, sophisticated pairing in cakes and pastries.
• WoHazelnutCoffee and hazelnut is considered one of the most reliable ice cream flavor pairings, especially in good Italian and French gelaterias.
• CiTurmericA now-discontinued turmeric-spiced coffee blend from London's Algerian Coffee Stores combined turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper…
• SpCloveIn Ethiopia, clove is sometimes ground together with coffee, along with cardamom and coriander seed, adding a second layer of bitterness.
• FrCherryCherry pie and coffee is a classic American diner pairing, familiar from countless roadside cafés and, notably, the Double R Diner in…
• GrChicoryThe forced "chicons" eaten as endive salad come from Cichorium intybus, whose roasted, ground taproot is also used as a coffee substitute…
• FfCoriander SeedMorocco, a major grower and user of coriander, sometimes flavors espresso-style coffee with coriander seed, adding floral (rose, lavender)…
• FfRoseBitter flavors can offset the heavy sweetness of florals like rose, a cube of rose-flavored Turkish Delight can balance out the intensity…
• FfWhite ChocolateCoffee combined with white chocolate's rich dairy character can read as overly similar to fudgy café au lait made with UHT milk, a style…
• BeBlack CurrantBlack currant and coffee is an unusual but effective pairing, noted in wine-tasting descriptions of the rare Lagrein grape from the…