FLAVORED COFFEE
Background
Flavored coffee is made by adding flavored oils to the beans after they have been roasted and before they have been ground. Another way in which this coffee can be made is by adding liquid flavors to the coffee while it is being prepared, in much the same was as cream and sugar are added.
Flavored coffee beans are coated with flavor compounds to supplement coffee beans' natural taste. In addition, these flavors help extend the shelf life of coffee by disguising changes in flavor due to decaffeination, oxidation, or aging processes. Flavored coffees in one form or another have been used for centuries and with current chemical technology, the beans can be produced with almost any flavor imaginable.
History
Many people regard flavored coffee as a modern invention, its origins are nearly as old as the original beverage itself. History shows that a few hundred years ago in the Middle East, people enjoyed drinking coffee blended with nuts and spices. In modern times, innovative marketers have capitalized on coffee drinkers' desire for more flavors than nature can provide and have found new ways to introduce flavoring agents into coffee. First, flavored syrups were used to spike brewed coffee with a touch of a favored flavor. More recent improvements in food science have led to ways of introducing complex flavors directly onto the beans as part of a post-roasting process. When these flavored beans are used for brewing, the flavor is extracted into the resulting beverage. Today consumers can choose from a wide array of flavored coffee beans with names like "Chocolate Swiss Almond," "Hazelnut," "Amaretto Supreme," "Irish Creme," "French Vanilla," and "Georgia Pecan."
Types of Flavors
Generally speaking, there are four categories of this type of coffee. The first category includes flavors based upon spices such as clove, cinnamon, anise, and cardamom. Next, there are also some coffee flavors that are based upon fruits such as coconut or raspberry. Chocolate based flavors are the next type with the most common being chocolate mint. Lastly, some flavors are based upon nuts like vanilla, hazelnut or macadamia nuts.