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There's nothing like a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning. This drink provides energy and seems ideal for many people. But what if it could be made even better?
Coffee is rich in a variety of flavors and aromas. Some coffee molecules that transmit taste and aroma are found in unroasted green beans, while others are produced after roasting.
The most well-known ingredient in coffee is caffeine. It has a bitter taste and acts as a stimulant, quickly entering the bloodstream, affecting our nervous system, and keeping us alert.
Genetics also plays an important role in the perception of bitterness. People with a specific genetic sequence variation are more sensitive to bitter foods.
But things are more interesting with coffee.
In 2018, a study showed that people who were sensitive to caffeine due to that same genetic variation actually preferred coffee to tea.
There may be several explanations for this. One of them is that such people just like the strong stimulating effect of the drink.
It's no secret that many people try to soften the taste of their coffee so that it does not taste bitter by adding milk, sugar, syrups and even butter. You can also make coffee softer by brewing it using a cold brew method.
Read also: Better than Starbucks: 10 cool homemade iced coffee recipes and their names
Coffee with salt
Another ingredient that can hide the bitterness of coffee is salt, which is added either when the ground beans are brewed or directly into the drink itself when it is prepared.
A new study has shown that adding salt to coffee can make the drink taste less bitter.
Why drink coffee with salt
It reduces the solubility of caffeine. Therefore, adding salt during brewing potentially reduces bitterness.
Salt receptors on the tongue are activated. As you know, salty taste suppresses bitter taste at any concentration.
When salt is added, salt receptors on the tongue are activated and help suppress the bitter taste. Of course, the bitterness of coffee has been softened for years in various ways — milk, sugar.
Well-known cookbook author and food expert Alton Brown explains: “Salt not only reduces bitterness, but also smooths out the taste of stagnant water that many people store in bottles.”
It is also worth noting that according to research, salt is better at neutralizing the bitterness of coffee than sugar.
Read also: 10 things a barista won't tell you when ordering coffee
But you should be careful about adding salt. You don't need to turn coffee into the Dead Sea. Brown, for example, adds a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt for every 6 tablespoons of ground grains.
But it is better to try, gradually adding salt as needed.
Several users have already experimented with salt and coffee. The results were mixed. Some people really felt that the taste of coffee became softer, while others did not feel the difference between plain coffee and coffee with salt.
In fact, the effect of salt on the taste of coffee depends on many factors:
Coffee concentration
Water temperature
Amount of salt added
The genetics of the person himself.
Read also: 10 mistakes you make when making coffee at home
Coffee with salt recipe
To make one cup of coffee you will need:
Ground coffee (5 tsp)
A pinch of salt
Sugar (1 tsp)
150 ml of hot filtered water (90-95 degrees)
Heavy cream (3 tsp optional)
Make an espresso.
In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients and add them to the coffee
Stir.
* More water or milk can be added if you want.
How to make coffee with salt (video)