Anyone who knows me will also know that I am a tea drinker – to be more specific a Yorkshire Tea drinker (made by Taylors of Harrogate). This morning however, my head was nearly turned by the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting around the building that I was entering. Even though I’m not a big coffee drinker, and only drink the occasional cup at the end of a meal, I have to confess that there is something very special about the smell. There are certain compounds in coffee that make it especially beguiling, almost a ‘welcoming’ smell that evokes a feeling of well-being. These volatile compounds are produced when coffee beans are roasted and are very similar to the compounds that are released during the cooking process. For example, the smell of baking bread derives from the compounds that are produced when a sugar reacts with a protein, and this can be just as enticing as the fresh coffee.

The downside I’m afraid, is that this is all just smell, and does not necessarily translate into flavour. Most of what we taste is actually smell, and if you hold your nose whilst drinking coffee you will probably detect only the sour, bitter flavour that originates from the organic acids. Clearly the secret is not to hold your nose whilst drinking you fresh cup of Joe….. and this applies to wine too!Anyone who knows me will also know that I am a tea drinker – to be more specific a Yorkshire Tea drinker (made by Taylors of Harrogate). This morning however, my head was nearly turned by the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting around the building that I was entering. Even though I’m not a big coffee drinker, and only drink the occasional cup at the end of a meal, I have to confess that there is something very special about the smell. There are certain compounds in coffee that make it especially beguiling, almost a ‘welcoming’ smell that evokes a feeling of well-being. These volatile compounds are produced when coffee beans are roasted and are very similar to the compounds that are released during the cooking process. For example, the smell of baking bread derives from the compounds that are produced when a sugar reacts with a protein, and this can be just as enticing as the fresh coffee.

The downside I’m afraid, is that this is all just smell, and does not necessarily translate into flavour. Most of what we taste is actually smell, and if you hold your nose whilst drinking coffee you will probably detect only the sour, bitter flavour that originates from the organic acids. Clearly the secret is not to hold your nose whilst drinking you fresh cup of Joe….. and this applies to wine too!