You’ve seen Blonde Coffee on the menu of your favorite coffee shop. But what exactly is the blonde roast, how is it made, and is it good for you at all? Read on to find out!
The blonde coffee roast is a much lighter roasting process than the regular medium or dark roast. It keeps all the flavors and qualities of a green bean. In flavor, it’s fruitier but has more acidity.
The Coffee Bean
First of all, there are two different definitions of blonde coffee. You may be familiar with Starbucks’ blonde which is lighter in flavor than dark. However, it doesn’t really define blonde coffee. You may consider real blonde coffee as extremely lightly roasted (almost green) coffee beans that let a lot of natural flavors flourish.
So what’s the difference? A blonde espresso that’s usually made from Latin American or East African beans has hints of sweet flavor and smooth texture. Meanwhile, Starbucks‘ version is much stronger (almost as strong as dark) with hints of caramel. It is because it’s already made with dark roasted beans from Latin America or the Asian Pacific region.
How about the amount of caffeine? It doesn’t depend on the type of roast. Rather the amount of caffeine in coffee depends on the preparation method and it is larger in brew than espresso.
Moreso, the antioxidant qualities in coffee are activated during the roasting process (a green bean doesn’t have any antioxidant properties). A light roast such as blonde is the exact type of roast that has the highest antioxidant effect.
Coffee Flavor
As any coffee lover, you care and want to know all about the flavor of the coffee. So what does the blonde taste like?
First of all, you need to understand that a very light roast process doesn’t activate as much flavor. So your usual caramel and sweet flavors are not present in the blonde roast. These are only activated under higher temperatures as heat interacts with sugars in coffee (Maillard Reaction).
Instead, you will find more fruity and flowery tastes in the coffee as a result of the beginning of the caramelization of sugars in a bean.
Roasting Process
The quality of coffee beans is especially important for the light roasting process as all the natural flavors of it contribute to the final taste of the coffee. Unlike dark roast, the difference in quality is evident immediately. Research shows that blonde roast has potentially more antioxidant benefits that drive from the quality of green beans as well.
The blonde roast is typically roasted at a temperature of 150-200 Celsius. When the temperature rises beyond 205 the coffee beans start cracking. That’s when the roast is complete. If you want to get the typical black roast, the beans are further heated to get a second crack.
What is the Best Way to Make Blonde Coffee?
When it comes to the method of preparation, the blonde roast is no different than your regular dark roast. So you can have your espresso, Americano, or latte all the same.
You will enjoy brighter notes of flavors, though.
Is Blonde Coffee Roast Healthy?
Even though the caffeine content is the same, a blonde roast actually does have more antioxidant properties than a darker roast. The chlorogenic acid contents are higher in the lighter roast, according to a study, which attributes to these qualities.
Adversely, the higher acidity may not be suitable for every stomach.
What is the Origin of the Blonde Coffee Beans?
The blonde roast name comes from its color. The light roast leaves the bean of this blonde color, thus the name. However, the qualities of the bean itself really come from the origin of where it comes from. So just as any roast coffee, it all depends on the region where it originates.
What is the Attraction of Blonde Roasts?
Just like any drink or food, people have different tastes. Not everyone likes bitter dark coffee. So a light version is very much appealing. Add to that the evident health benefits and the blonde roast has become very popular. Especially since it has been added to the popular menus like that of Starbucks.
How Acidic is a Blonde Roast?
It is very acidic if you consider the pH scale and the fact that most blonde roasts are 4.5 on the scale. Anything below 5 is considered very acidic. This means that you may not want to drink too much of blonde roast on an empty stomach or if you have any issues related to a weak stomach.
Is Blonde Roast the Roast for You?
Is your Instagram feed filled with people posting blonde coffee as another fad? Does that mean you should now be liking it too? The truth is, no coffee tastes better than the one you like. There are as many tastes as varieties of it. So if you like your dark roast and the rich flavor of coffee, you shouldn’t be giving it up for the fruity tones of blonde. On the other hand, if you find you fancy it, there’s no sin in moving away from the traditional flavor of what we used to know coffee taste like.