Perfectly Pairing Coffee With Dessert
Have you ever wondered why certain foods and drinks naturally go together so perfectly, for example, coffee and chocolate? Foodies and scientists alike have even conducted research and testing in the science of food pairing for answers. Why does this matter? It’s key to helping us understand how humans perceive flavor.
It’s no secret that coffee has a distinct character of its own, but did you know that you can actually enhance that flavor and quality of your coffee by pairing it with the appropriate desserts? Whether you are choosing coffees to serve at your dinner party, or just coming up with a menu, this pairing could make all the difference in your culinary experience.
Let’s now explore how each type of coffee roast should be respectively paired with desserts.
Light-Roast Coffee
The beans of light roast coffee are generally a light brown color, have a light body, and have the highest acidity of the three roasts. These have a smooth, mellow taste, and the specific characteristics of the roast’s origin are more pronounced.
Light roasts pair well with light cakes, cookies, bread loaves, fresh fruit desserts like tarts and meringue, and cooked desserts like crisps and cobblers. This is mainly because the shorter roasting times bring out the citrus flavors that already exist in those light roast coffee beans.
Medium-Roast Coffee
Medium-roast coffees have a rich brown color similar to milk chocolate, are more balanced in flavor, and are greater in acidity than light roasts.
These robust coffees perfectly complement creamy deserts with light textures, such as crème brûlée, tiramisu, and flan, spiced desserts like carrot cake and apple pie, and light yet decadent desserts like cheesecakes with fresh fruit, or whipped-chocolate parfaits. Since medium roasts bring out the chocolatey, nutty flavors in those coffees, they work together well with creamier, savory dessert textures.
Dark-Roast Coffee
Dark roast coffee beans are very dark brown, almost black in color. These coffees generally have a distinct smokiness in flavor, and are very lightly acidic, with a full body.
Coffee flavored desserts like mocha cakes or espresso ice cream, grainy deserts like biscotti, scones, and croissants, rich desserts like dense cheesecakes, and nutty flavored desserts all pair extremely well with dark-roast coffees. The bitterness of the coffee is well balanced out by the creaminess and sweetness of these types of treats.
So, see how you can appreciate and even augment the natural goodness of your favorite coffee, just by pairing it with delicious desserts! Keep these roast profiles in mind when you are designing your menus, and you will surely impress your friends and family. For a yummy selection of every type of roast, we invite you to visit CoffeeAM today, and enjoy a gourmet coffee experience like you’ve never had before!