Content of Acidic Compounds in the Bean of Coffea arabica L., Produced in the Department of Cesar (Colombia), and Its Relationship with the Sensorial Attribute of Acidity

Abstract

Cesar, a coffee-growing department in Colombia, has particular characteristics that favor the production of coffees differentiated by sensory profile, for which the acidity attribute stands out. The chemical composition and sensory quality of the coffee produced by 160 coffee growers during two production harvests (2021 and 2022) and processed by the wet method were evaluated to correlate the contents of the main acidic chemical compounds present in green coffee beans with the perceived acidity of the beverage. The chemical analysis of coffee samples utilized spectrophotometric methods and HPLC-DAD techniques. Lactic, 3,5-di-CQA and phosphoric acids were good discriminators of acidity classified as excellent; that is, with a score higher than 7.75 on the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) scale, presenting the highest contents in the green coffee bean. There was a direct linear relationship between acidity and 3,5-di-CQA and 5-CQA and an inverse relationship between acidity and 3-CQA, 4-CQA and 4,5-CQA. These findings contribute to the understanding of the quality and chemistry of Colombian coffee.