Acidity

Acidity in coffee is a natural, crisp characteristic that resembles fresh fruit and prevents the brew from tasting flat. In specialty coffee, it has nothing to do with the unpleasant, sour stomach sensation of cheap coffee, but rather mimics the juiciness of a ripe apple, citrus, or berries. It is created when organic acids are washed out of the coffee grounds, which happens at the very beginning of the brewing process. This quality determines whether the cup tastes lively and balanced, or dull and lifeless. Lightly roasted single origin coffees from East Africa, like Ethiopia, are famous for having the most vibrant acidity that tastes like tropical fruits and citrus.