Why Does Coffee Taste Bitter?

Sushmita Panda

Feb 05, 2025

A new study has revealed that your genetics are responsible for the taste of coffee-‘bitter’ or ‘not bitter’.

Scientists have identified a new group of bitter compounds in roasted Arabica coffee and analysed how they influence its taste.

An individual’s genetic tendencies also play a role in determining how bitter these roasting substances taste.

Beans from the ‘Coffea Arabica’ plant are roasted to develop a flavour before being ground and brewed for a beverage.

‘Mozambioside’ is one such substance in Arabica beans, known to taste about 10 times more bitter than caffeine

Mozambioside levels significantly drop during roasting, and therefore, the substance “only makes a small contribution to the bitterness of coffee”

Through experiments on cells, the seven products were found to activate the same bitter taste receptors as mozambioside.

Only a combination of mozambioside and its roasting products in a sample led eight out of eleven participants to perceive a bitter taste