Dados do Trabalho

Título

SENSORIAL QUALITY AND POLYSACCHARIDES COMPOSITION IN SPECIALTY COFFEES

Introdução

The production of specialty coffee is a complex and meticulous process that involves the selection of high-quality beans, cultivation under ideal conditions, and careful processing of coffee brews before passing preliminary tests of grading and cupping. A great challenge is finding ways to correlate these grading characteristics to the chemical composition of the coffee.

Material e Métodos

This study utilized the protocol of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) to classify specialty coffees from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Colombia. Twelve different roasted bean samples were grounded and used for brew preparation, with the recovery of polysaccharides in the retentate fraction after 12 kDa dialyzes fractionation. This fraction was characterized by its sugar content with hydrolysis and derivatization to alditol acetates, detection, and quantification of residues by gas chromatography.

Resultados e Discussão

The results show a genetic diversity of Ethiopian beans resulting in varied flavors, while Colombian coffees, grown at high altitudes, presented a balanced body and acidity. Brazil, one of the world’s largest producers, stood out for its Arabica coffees with a minimum score of 80 in the SCA sensory analysis.

Conclusão

The striking differences between the coffees from these countries are influenced by factors such as terroir, grain variety, and cultivation and processing processes. Ethiopian coffees, naturally processed, had fruity and complex flavors. Colombians, processed by the dry or wet method, had a cleaner flavor profile. The diversity of climates and sustainable management of Brazil samples resulted in distinct sensory profiles. No significant differences were observed in the levels of mannose, galactose, and arabinose, which were the most abundant sugar residues in coffee extracts, showing that despite the differences observed in the sensorial parameters, the polysaccharides composition remained unchanged. In summary, this study highlighted the diversity and uniqueness of specialty coffees from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Colombia, each with distinct aroma characteristics. Despite their differences, especially coffee all present a uniformized “body” (polysaccharide) composition. Still, further research is needed to explore these factors and improve the quality and consistency of specialty coffees.