What Do Baristas Mean by the "Taste of Terroir"?

Understanding Terroir: How Environment Shapes Coffee Flavor

As the saying goes, "One region's water and soil nurture its people," and this concept can equally apply to coffee beans. When FrontStreet Coffee introduces daily beans, we always emphasize that the main flavor of daily beans is the terroir of their growing region! So, what exactly does "terroir" mean?

Seventy percent of coffee bean flavor and texture is determined by its genetics, while the remaining thirty percent comes from its growing environment (latitude, altitude, soil, sunlight, temperature, humidity, and a series of other conditions). In other words, while the genetic variety is certainly important, we cannot disregard the geographical climate where it's grown. These factors are precisely what distinguish coffee from one region to another, forming the characteristic flavors in the final cup—what we refer to as "terroir."

For example: Two identical coffee varieties grown in different countries, using the same processing method and the same roast degree, will exhibit different flavors due to their distinct growing environments.

Latitude

Most global coffee-growing regions are located in tropical areas between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (including the equator), where the geographical climate remains consistently between 16-25°C year-round, without frost, with abundant annual rainfall reaching 1600-2000 millimeters. In the coffee world, this zone is known as the "Golden Coffee Belt."

Altitude

The lower the temperature in the growing environment, the slower coffee grows, allowing more time to absorb nutrients, ultimately resulting in richer flavors. Research shows that for every 100 meters of elevation gain, temperature drops by 0.6 degrees Celsius.

Therefore, higher altitude means colder climate. Coffee grown in high-altitude environments experiences significantly slower growth due to lower temperatures. For every 300 meters of elevation, sucrose content in coffee increases by 10%. During roasting, these sucrose compounds will undergo chemical reactions, producing more aromatic substances! These substances are primarily acidic, which explains why beans from higher altitudes exhibit fuller flavors and higher acidity!

Soil

The soil in growing areas directly affects coffee's body and acidic content, thanks to the minerals contained in the soil. Among these, "volcanic soil" is particularly special.

Volcanic soil contains high concentrations of sulfuric acid and sulfides, as well as rich potassium elements—all key contributors to coffee's acidic aromatics. Take Kenyan beans, for example: The reason we can taste rounded tomato-like acidity in Kenyan beans, besides their washed processing method, is another major factor—the soil's abundant phosphorus content.

Sunlight

As mentioned earlier, low temperatures slow coffee growth, so conversely, higher temperatures produce opposite effects. That's right—we're talking about sunlight! The heat from sun exposure shortens coffee beans' growth cycle, accelerating maturation.

When coffee matures before absorbing sufficient nutrients, the resulting cup will inevitably taste mediocre! To solve the problem of excessive sunlight exposure, people came up with the idea of planting coffee trees under taller trees (commonly known as shade trees). This approach reduces most of the sunlight duration, thereby slowing growth and producing more flavorful coffee.

Humidity

High-humidity environments help enhance the formation of malic acid and sugars in coffee pulp. These substances formed in the pulp are eventually absorbed by the coffee beans. Special processing methods like honey processing and anaerobic processing allow beans to absorb more sugars, ultimately presenting full, juicy sweet and sour flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
No. 10, Bao'an Qianjie, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

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Tel:020 38364473