Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Many Americans consume it every day. When properly paired, coffee and food can create a harmonious balance that brings out the best in each item. As many new coffee trends pop up, coffee food pairing has increased to include different types of tastes and food.
This guide will introduce you to the incredible world of the coffee pair. We will start with an overview of some general principles before pairing them with any foods and giving a simple -jerk list of any coffee sources.
Basic Rules of Coffee Pairing
All coffee is made differently. Coffee dramatically affects its taste, mouthfill, and what it will associate well with foods. Specific sources also borrow yourself to a particular system of brewing and choosing the correct brewing method for your coffee source will help you get the most benefit from it.
To keep things easier, we are going to pick the origins into broad categories and use a pour-over or a French press to make them. This is merely meant as a role, so keep in mind that the rabbit hole is much deeper than the surface level. These guidelines will help you create a reference point for future searches.
Coffee Pairing Guide By Region
African Coffee
Coffee from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda usually gives exceptional sweets and fruits with high acidity. They are often the best when they are lightly roasted, emphasizing the natural taste of the bean.
Since African coffee is usually light body, delicate and sweet, they pair well with all kinds of fruits. Try to pair an African pour with blueberry, raspberry, cherry, peach, plums, apricots, or citrus fruits.
Central and South American Coffee
Central and South American coffee makes it a bit difficult to recommend together. Brazilian and Colombian coffee is usually bold and has the most powerful chocolate and soil flavors.
We prefer to make central and South American coffee in a French press because we see the immersion to better drain the multi-tastes present at these sources. A French press also embraces the flower body beans and gives you the largest, most face-filled texture.
This coffee is great with chocolate, which brings a taste of dormant chocolate in coffee, and works well with grains and bread.
Indian and Indonesian Coffee
Indian and Indonesian coffee has a bold texture and a full-fledged profile. They are mainly featured in spices, tobacco, skin, and wood taste notes, requirements, and hints of soil flavors.
These coffee work best in a French press because of their dark -taste profile and full body. The most popular sources from this region are Sumatra, India, Papua New Guinea, and Java.
You can pair this coffee with beef, lamb, and pork meat because they are strong enough so they do not gain extra energy. Usually, Dark Roasts are a great choice for pairing meat, so you can choose the roasters that favor darker roasts when buying Indian and Indonesian coffee to pair with meat. French press coffee also works well with dark roasts, so choosing a dark-roast Indonesian coffee to pair with meat will give you the most harmonious pairing.
How to pair coffee with food
The best food to go with coffee is food that tastes similar, so it’s good to know your coffee and familiarize yourself with your origin. Variables such as acidity, brewing method, extraction time and the region your coffee is grown in will affect the overall experience.
We all know how great coffee can taste when combined with baked goods like a toasted croissant, a blueberry muffin, or a chocolate brownie. But what about fruit, meat, or dairy? You’ll be happy to know that there is a perfect pairing for every food group.
Coffee and sweets
Chocolate
You can not make a guide on coffee and food pairings without mentioning chocolate. Rich desserts like brownies or chocolate cake go great with full-bodied, dark-roast coffee. Light milk and white chocolate desserts such as chocolate mousse or ice cream go beautifully with almost any coffee, but especially light to medium roasts.
Fruit
Fresh fruit such as berries and stone fruit offer a light, healthy sweet coffee pairing option. Avoid high-intensity sour tones like lemon or lime as these are not an ideal pairing with many coffees. Berry crepes are a great option when paired with espresso or espresso-based drinks.
Meat
Roast chicken tastes great with coffee that has fruity tones like Cosi, while bacon and sausage are great with medium-roast coffee.
Dairy
The rich flavor of espresso coffee brings out the complex and creamy flavors in the various kinds of cheese. Espresso is often the preferred coffee choice here, but any espresso-based coffee is a good accompaniment to dairy.
Conclusion
Coffee pairing from different regions and sources with certain foods enhances the enjoyment of both of them and it is worth the time and effort to test with different combinations. Looking for the right pair that makes your tastes explode with joy is an unforgettable experience and will come back to something more. We hope this guide will help you go there!
