Why do we love coffee? The answer is genetics, but also psychology!

And yet, the more bitter we feel, the more we love coffee!

The bitter taste, no matter enjoyable it is in many categories of food, and of course in coffee, is a taste that humans are genetically designed to avoid. Many times in nature, the bitter taste indicates the presence of poison or toxicity - which is why bitter is generally unpleasant as a sensation. After all, caffeine bitterness is known to remove insects and pests from coffee trees, which is why Robusta plants, which have more caffeine than Arabica, are more resistant to invaders.

Of course, this does not mean that bitter foods are dangerous, but people generally dislike bitter foods. In fact, not all humans have the same bitter sense of taste as this is determined by the genes we carry. One would expect that the more intense a person's sense of bitter, the greater his or her dislike for bitter foods. However, a recent study conducted in Australia has shown that people with a strong sense of bitterness consume much more coffee than those who do not recognize the bitter taste with the same intensity.

According to research conducted by Brisbane Medical Research Center in Australia, people do not perceive bitter taste in the same way. A large sample of volunteers, and in collaboration with other research institutes, were given bitter greens, tonic, tea and natural coffee for consumption. Initial measurements were designed to map how strongly the food's bitterness is perceived by their recipients. The results of the second measurements were, however, impressive.

Contrary to what one might expect, people with an increased sense of bitterness tend to drink more coffee (but also tea) than those who performed poorly in the first survey. The mechanism behind this paradox is called by psychologists "positive reinforcement". In a nutshell, consumers who participated in the survey were given the link to coffee in pleasant situations: going out, friends, talking, etc., that is, the network of social behaviors associated with coffee consumption. The basic reflex for invoking these memories is hidden in the bitterness of coffee, so the more intense the intake of that particular taste, the greater is - in the end - the yearning and enjoyment of coffee.

Coffee consumption, in addition to its pleasant taste, is associated with a set of social behaviors - it would not be an exaggeration to say that coffee is the predominantly 'social' beverage, which forms a framework of rules, commonly known as 'coffee culture'. ». So, coffee is deeply associated with pleasant memories and the beautiful side of life - and our genetic predisposition to taste more intense simply emphasizes just that aspect of it. Equally striking, and explainable by the mechanism above, is the fact that those who have a strong sense of bitterness are less likely to add sugar or milk to their coffee!

Of course, when we enjoy our espresso, little does it matter. Our coffee is always fun, with or without the science behind it. It is enough to always have a good cup of coffee in our cup - the coffee we deserve!