Food - Drink
Here's What Would Happen If You Brewed Coffee With Unroasted Beans
By MEGGAN ROBINSON
Coffee always does a great job of waking us up in the morning, but different processing methods, roasting times, and brewing methods mean that no two cups taste exactly alike. While we may quibble about what type of roast we prefer for our coffee beans, you may wonder what coffee would taste like if we didn't roast the beans at all.
Coffee authority Lincoln and York explains that "coffee beans are roasted so that they become coffee as we know it." The roasting process caramelizes the flavors of the beans and darkens their color; they also lose moisture and become more brittle, making it easier to grind them up and brew them into a deep, flavorful cup of joe.
It is possible to brew a beverage from green, unroasted coffee beans, but the result won't even vaguely resemble a typical cup of coffee, with grassy, vegetal, "woody" flavors. Green coffee beans are also harder and denser than roasted beans, which means they can be hard on your coffee grinder, explains Hayman Coffee.
Brewing "green" coffee can involve grinding the beans or using them whole, and you can either soak them overnight or let them simmer in water on the stovetop. Kopi Luwak Direct warns that you will "end up with a bitter, unpleasant-tasting beverage," while Coffee With Conscience describes the flavor as more herbal and mild.