Sweetness

Sweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: SourSour is one of four basic sapid (in the mouth) tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter (and possibly a 5th called Umami which indicates savory flavors). In coffee, sourness in moderate amounts of favorable, although the More, Sweet, SaltySalty is one of four basic sapid (in the mouth) tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter (and possibly a 5th called Umami which indicates savory flavors). In coffee, saltiness is not usually a positive quality, but More, BitterBitterness is one of 5 basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter and Umami (savory flavors). There are many types of bitterness, hence not one avenue to tracking down its source. Bitterness as a positive quality More, Savory (UmamiUmami is a Japanese word that has been adopted to indicate savory flavor and scent, and is considered by some as the 5th core flavor along with sour, salty, sweet, and bitter.: Umami is a More). In coffee, sweetness is a highly desirable quality, and the green bean has sugars and polysaccharides. Sugars are converted during roasting but not found in the roasted bean, and some only form as intermediary compounds in the roast. So sweetness in coffee is less a matter of literal sweetness from sugars, as the perception of sweetness.