This is one of those things you might debate with your friends. A lot of people who absolutely love one type of chocolate say they could never eat another. Usually, it is people who love milk chocolate who say that they don’t understand how people can eat dark chocolate.
It is true that there is a lot of debate about the flavours of chocolate, and this also extends to coffee beans. We live in an interesting time when it comes to coffee. There are so many different ways you can enjoy your coffee, and in a lot of the barista-style coffee drinks out there, they are actually pretty sweet. Adding milk, or even almond milk and other varieties of vegan milk can make a coffee taste much more sweet, and that is before we add sugar, or syrups.
Now, fascinating research has shown that those who like black coffee and the natural taste of the coffee beans are more likely to also like dark chocolate, and that there are other links in our brains that you may never have considered…
Marilyn Cornelis is behind the research, and she has actually studied a variety of different coffee impacts on the brain. Cornelis is Northwestern University Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine, and the study found that a simple genetic variant makes all the difference.
This means that there is a genetic influence on whether or not we are determined to enjoy coffee black, with milk, or even with other sugar and sweeteners.
According to the study, “a variant near a gene encoding an olfactory receptor (OR5M8) has been associated with coffee intake. As coffee and tea have a bitter taste, it is also plausible that genetic variants related to bitter taste perception affect coffee and tea consumption.”
The study’s conclusion seems to confirm that this receptor also has a big impact on the way we perceive flavours and that some people will enjoy coffee more than others, and enjoy the bitter, natural taste.
Some more fascinating information came from the same study, and though your mind might not be blown that genetics plays a part, you might be surprised to learn that coffee drinkers found to quickly metabolise the drink are more likely to prefer the bitter taste of coffee.
This comes from a similar variant to those who like bitter dark chocolate over sweet milk chocolate, but also from the psychoactive stimulus that coffee creates. This is a really fascinating find from the study.
Cornelis has also found in other studies that people who prefer black coffee may associate it more purely with the boost that it gives them. People are likely to think that the black coffee and the taste of the coffee beans is what is providing them with that boost, even in a subconscious way.
The Bitterness Spectrum
These studies are interesting, but it is quite a murky world of flavour. We all have our different preferences, and while genetics plays a part, there are a lot of other aspects that could be coming into play.
For example, the way coffee is prepared will impact whether it is bitter or not. Coffee that is brewed cold, for example, doesn’t extract in the same way, meaning that the bitter flavours don’t get imparted on the water so much.
The roast profile of the coffee also plays a part. Coffee that has been heavily roasted has a much more bitter flavour.
We also know how our tastes can evolve over time. When you are younger you are much more likely to want sweeter flavours. Also, if your brain gets used to sweetness, this is what it may crave. This is much more complex than just the simple base flavours as what you are looking for may relate to a relationship with sugar.
Bitterness is a whole spectrum, but it is definitely true that there are many people who are predisposed to enjoy flavours that are more of a bitter experience. This comes from simple genetics, along with the way we develop our tastes over time.
Conclusion
The next time you are in a bar and you start to discuss why certain people like their coffee black, and others prefer a super-sweet coffee with cream, sugar, syrup and more, you’ll have more of the answers. If you like dark chocolate and you also love your coffee black, or enjoy an espresso on its own, you might now have the answers as to why this is the case.
If you want to check out the full study, you can see it here. Marilyn’s work is very interesting for those of us who love coffee, and can help you to understand how your body and brain are interacting with coffee.
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