From acidity to Q Grader, specialty coffee has its own vocabulary. This glossary explains, briefly, the terms you'll find across our articles — and where a topic has a full dedicated guide, the definition links straight to it.
Acidity
The bright, tangy sensation on the palate, similar to a green apple or citrus fruit — not related to stomach pH, but to sensory perception. High-altitude, washed-processed coffees typically show more pronounced acidity. Full guide: Coffee and acidity.
Arabica (Coffea Arabica)
The species behind most of the world's specialty coffee, known for complex aroma and balanced acidity. Details: Coffea Arabica.
Aroma / Flavor profile
The full range of olfactory and taste sensations perceived while tasting — floral, fruity, nutty, chocolate or caramel notes. The flavor profile varies with origin, processing and roast level.
Barista
The professional who prepares and serves coffee, with expertise in extraction, milk texturing and equipment. Details: The role of the barista.
Blend
A combination of beans from different origins or lots, designed to balance acidity, body and sweetness — the opposite of a single origin coffee.
Bloom (pre-infusion)
The first 30-45 seconds of a pour-over brew, when a small amount of water wets the grounds to release carbon dioxide built up during roasting, before the rest of the extraction.
Body
The sensation of weight and texture on the palate — from "thin" like tea, to "thick" and velvety, as with ibrik/Turkish coffee or French press.
Natural oils
The bean's natural oils, largely responsible for a coffee's body and mouthfeel. Paper-filter-free methods (ibrik, French press, espresso) retain more of them than paper filtration.
Crema
The fine, golden-brown layer of emulsified foam on top of an espresso, formed from oils, carbon dioxide and soluble proteins under pressure. A dense, lasting crema usually indicates freshly roasted beans.
Cupping
The standardized professional coffee-tasting method used to evaluate and grade lots — ground coffee steeped directly in a cup, smelled and loudly slurped to spread it across the whole palate. See also The SCA score.
Defect
A physical or tasting flaw in a bean -- black, fermented, moldy or broken -- carefully counted during quality grading; specialty coffee allows only a very small number of defects per sample.
Degassing
The natural release of carbon dioxide from freshly roasted beans over the first days to weeks after roasting. It's why coffee that's "too fresh" (under 3-4 days) can extract unevenly.
Direct Trade
A trading model in which a roaster buys directly from a farm or cooperative, without multiple intermediaries, typically at prices above the commodity market. Complementary to formal certifications like Fair Trade -- see Ethics and sustainability in specialty coffee.
Espresso
A pressurized extraction method (typically 9 bar) through finely ground coffee, in 25-30 seconds -- the base for cappuccino, latte and flat white. Details: Espresso and the espresso machine.
Extraction
The process by which water dissolves soluble compounds from ground coffee -- flavors, acids, sugars, oils. A too-short extraction gives a sour, thin cup (under-extraction); a too-long one gives a bitter, dry cup (over-extraction).
Fermentation (in processing)
A controlled step in coffee processing in which enzymes and microorganisms break down the mucilage around the bean, shaping the final flavor profile -- key in anaerobic processing. See Anaerobic processing.
Fines
The very small particles produced during grinding, which can over-extract quickly and add bitterness or a "dusty" mouthfeel to the cup, especially in espresso.
Grading
The professional system by which green beans are evaluated for size, shape, density, moisture and defect count, to establish quality and eligibility for the specialty coffee label.
Green coffee
Unroasted coffee beans in their raw form after processing -- the yellowish-green color gives them their name. They are stored and shipped this way, then roasted as close as possible to the moment of consumption.
Honey process
A processing method between natural and washed, in which some of the sweet, honey-like mucilage stays on the bean during drying. Details: Yellow Honey processing.
Liberica
The third major commercially grown coffee species, rare, with large beans and a distinctive, woody-fruity flavor profile. Comparison: Arabica, Robusta and Liberica.
Maillard reaction
The chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars, triggered by heat during roasting, responsible for the brown color and for many of coffee's caramel, toast and nutty notes. Details: Coffee's chemical compounds.
Micro-lot
A small quantity of coffee from a single farm, plot, or even a single harvest day, separated and processed distinctly for maximum traceability and quality. Details: Micro-lot coffee.
Natural process (dry/sun-dried)
The oldest processing method: the whole cherry is dried in the sun with the pulp still on, giving the coffee a fuller body and often berry-like fruity notes. Details: Natural processing.
Parchment
The thin, paper-like layer surrounding the green bean after the pulp is removed -- removed by hulling, the last step before sorting and export.
Q Grader
An internationally certified taster (Coffee Quality Institute), qualified to evaluate and officially score green and roasted coffee using standardized cupping protocols.
Ristretto vs Lungo
Variations on espresso based on the amount of water used: ristretto is more concentrated and shorter, lungo more diluted and longer. Details: Short vs. long espresso.
Robusta (Coffea Canephora)
The second most-grown coffee species by volume worldwide, with higher caffeine content, thicker body and lower acidity than Arabica; often used in espresso blends for crema. Comparison: Arabica, Robusta and Liberica.
SCA (Specialty Coffee Association)
The leading international association for specialty coffee, which sets quality standards, cupping protocols, and, since 2024, the Coffee Value Assessment framework. Details: The SCA score.
Single origin
Coffee sourced from a single country, region, or even farm, as opposed to a blend -- lets you explore the specific characteristics of one particular terroir.
Specialty coffee
High-quality coffee, grown, processed and prepared with rigorous attention at every stage, that earns a high score in professional evaluation. Full guide: Specialty coffee -- definition and concepts.
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
The percentage of dissolved solids in a brewed coffee, measured with a refractometer -- an objective indicator of a drink's strength, used together with extraction yield to dial in a recipe.
Terroir
The unique combination of soil, altitude, climate and microclimate in a region, which leaves a distinct mark on a coffee's final flavor -- a concept borrowed from the world of wine.
Third Wave Coffee
The contemporary movement that treats coffee as an artisanal, origin-driven product, with an emphasis on traceability, lighter roasting and precise brewing methods. Details: Third Wave Coffee.
Varietal
The genetic subtype within a species -- for example Bourbon, Typica or Geisha are varietals of Coffea Arabica, each with its own flavor profile, distinct from the species itself.
Washed process
A processing method in which the pulp and mucilage are removed mechanically and through controlled fermentation before drying, typically resulting in a cleaner, more acidic cup. Details: Washed processing.
Yield (extraction yield)
The percentage of the ground coffee's mass that ends up dissolved in the cup -- typically targeted between 18-22% for a balanced extraction, used together with TDS to dial in a recipe.
Want to go deeper on a specific topic? Explore the full categories in our About Coffee section, or discover our specialty coffee range.