CHAPTER 33. Coffee Volatile and Aroma Compounds – From the Green Bean to the Cup

Coffee is a relatively young caffeinated beverage, known in Western Europe since the 17th century. Initially consumed in Europe by the aristocracy, coffee has developed into one of the world's most popular beverages. The unique aroma is without doubt one of the key drivers for its rise in consumption. Over the past two decades, research on coffee aroma has mostly focused on two areas. (1) Identification and quantification of aroma relevant volatile compounds. This led to the publication of lists of sensory relevant (impact/key) compounds, together with their chemical and sensory properties. (2) Elucidation of the formation and degradation mechanisms of coffee aroma compound. After a period of consolidation of all these insights, the focus is shifting to new areas: (i) time-resolved studies of coffee aroma formation, release and degradation; (ii) study of different types of interactions and the development of an increasingly holistic approach to aroma perception; (iii) prediction of sensory profiles from instrumental data.