French Roast Coffee – it doesn’t come from France

French roast coffee doesn't come from France and it doesn't even refer to the type of beans. It is simply coffee beans that have been dark roasted.

French roast is very dark. It is about the darkest roast you can have without making the coffee taste burned.

To understand French roast coffee, you need to understand the roasting process. As you roast coffee beyond the light and medium roasts, the coffee bean's oils start to rise to the surface. At the same time the sugars inside the bean caramelize. Done right, the bean provides a bittersweet taste and practically no acidity...the roasting process leaves dark and rich flavor that can be savored.

If you taste bitter French roast coffee, that indicates the roasting was done poorly. Poor French roasts can also taste thin and burned, like charcoal.

Look for true French roast coffee

You can also tell the difference between a true French roast and a "dark roast" intended for Americans. Most coffee drinkers in the US and Canada prefer their coffee taste milder than is favored in continental Europe. Most likely a North American French roast still will be a bit more mellow than one roasted in Europe.

If you look around though, you can find the true French roast coffee, like the coffee you can buy from Peet's Coffee. Alfred Peet pioneered gourmet coffee in the USA. As a Dutch immigrant, , he introduced the traditional European roasts to our country. Starbucks also provides darker roasts, but prefers not to go quite as dark as Peets for most coffees.

So the next time you enjoy your coffee, imaging a rich, dark French roast coffee that you would find at a cafe in Paris. If your coffee is not quite as rich, and dark, that is okay too. When coffee is roasted to darker tones, such as French roast, it loses its subtle flavor. You may want more variety than is provided by a steady diet of French roast and dark roasted coffees.

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