Lavazza Library - Lavazza Espresso Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Descriptive Coffee and Espresso Terms

The following are terms which are frequently used to describe your Lavazza coffee:

Acidity: A high acid coffee can be compared to a dry wine. The sharp sensation at the edges of your tongue with plenty of acid. The darker the roast, the lower the acid; but there are some varietal beans which have more natural acid, or "winy-ness", than others.

Aftertaste: Refers to the result of vapour developed by the residues of coffee still hovering on the palate and in the throat after drinking.

Arabica: A species of coffee, Coffee arabica, originating in Ethiopia and widely cultivated for its high-quality, commercially valuable seeds.

Body: The sensation of heaviness on the tongue describes full body in a coffee. Body is diminished by adding milk to coffee; therefore, if you prefer your coffee black, you can enjoy those with a light or a medium body.

"Bouquet of the Blend": Refers to the aromatic structure of the blend, the fragrance, and the aftertaste.

Crema: The icon of espresso coffee, a component and creamy emuslion that captures and protects, until consumption, the thousands of aromaic molecules disperesed in the drink.

Flavor: Describing flavor is difficult in the term itself is quite subjective. Balance is the characteristic that yields the best flavor: it is the sensation of harmony between the acidity, the body, and the regional nuances. No one overpowers the other; rather, there is a pleasurable complexity to the best tasting coffees. Flavor = aroma + taste.

"Mouth-Feel": The sensation perceoived by the contact of a subtance or of a liquid with the palate.

Organoleptic: Involving the use of sense organs.

Strength: Refers to the extraction of coffee, in other words, the "thickness" of the brewed beverage. Some people perceive dark roasts, such as French Roast and Fireside Blend, or big bodied coffees like Sumatra or Kenya AA to be "stronger".