Cooking With Gourmet Coffee

Coffee Pairing: Dark-Roasted Blends

By:   Mackenzie Schieck

What’s a Blend?

These are beans from multiple regions, blended and roasted together to create a uniquely flavored coffee.

Coffee Descriptors

Body: refers to the weight of coffee on your tongue. Some coffees are very light and crisp, while others tend to linger. Body ranges from light to full.
Note: while body usually correlates to strength, it is possible for a coffee to be strong in flavor, yet lighter in body.

Acidity: this sounds like a bad thing, right? But, it actually has nothing to do with being sour or bitter; acidity simply refers to the brightness or tang of a coffee and ranges from high to low.

Get to know characteristics of these dark-roasted blends so you can begin pairing them with complimentary foods to bring the best out in each.

That’s Strong Coffee

In addition to the main regional coffees mentioned in Coffee Pairing (see sidebar), there are a few notable dark-roasted blends you’re likely to find at most coffee shops. Look out, though–these are not your grandmother’s instant flavor crystals:

Espresso Roast: these are usually dark, robust blends with a caramel-like sweetness. Espresso roasts are specifically created to stand up to the intense process of brewing espresso, but can be brewed using other methods with great results.

• Body: full

• Acidity: low

• Flavor Pairings: caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom

Try these recipes for pairing with Espresso Blends:

Apple Strudel Muffins Chocolate and Almond Biscotti Monkey Bread I Raisin Buttermilk Coffee Cake Too Much Chocolate Cake Walnut Brownie Pie

Italian Roast: the name refers to the way in which the coffee is roasted: very dark, as is popular in Italy. Italian roasts are a blend of beans from different regions, but often have those from Latin America in common.

• Body: Full

• Acidity: Low

• Flavor Pairings: chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, nuts

Try these recipes for pairing with Italian Roasts:

Creamiest Chocolate Mousse Chewy Brownie Cookies Brown Sugar Banana Nut Bread I Caramel Apple Coffee Cake Applesauce Doughnuts Gingerbread Cookies I

French Roast: these blends are roasted even darker than the Italian Roast. While French Roasts are not actually full-bodied, their flavor is strong and intense, often with a smoky quality–they have a relatively small, but loyal following.

• Body: light to medium

• Acidity: low

• Flavor Pairings: toasted almonds, toasted hazelnuts, caramelized sugar

Try these recipes for pairing with French Roasts:

Biscotti Toscani Golden Coconut Almond Muffins Heavenly Chipped Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Caramel-Glazed Flan