Torrefacto

Torrefacto refers to the process of roasting coffee beans. It is common in Spain, France, Portugal, Costa Rica and Argentina.

The process involves adding a certain amount of sugar during roasting in order to glaze the beans. This results in a reduction in the acidity and bitter taste of the coffee.

The glazed beans are then mixed with normal roasted beans.

Biologist Isabel López Galilea, a researcher at the University of Navarra, has studied the effects of various roasting and preparation methods on the antioxidant capacity of coffee. According to her study, “The Influence of Torrefacto Roasting on the Principal Components of Coffee and its Antioxidant and Pro-oxidant Capacity,” the addition of sugar during the torrefacto roasting process increases the production of compounds with antioxidant properties. It was demonstrated that both ground and brewed torrefacto coffee has higher antioxidant capacity than standard roasts. In addition, it was found that the espresso method of extraction yielded higher antioxidant activity than other brewing methods.