Why do coffee beans have to be roasted?

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ALL coffee lovers know that the roasting of the coffee bean can influence the taste of the coffee quite heavily. Why is this process so important?

Roasting brings out the aroma and flavour that is locked inside the green coffee beans. Beans are stored green, a state in which they can be kept without loss of quality or taste.

A green bean has none of the characteristics of a roasted bean – it’s soft and spongy to the bite and smells grassy. Roasting causes chemical changes to take place as the beans are rapidly brought to very high temperatures.

When they reach the peak of perfection, they are quickly cooled to stop the process.

Roasted beans smell like coffee, and weigh less because the moisture has been roasted out.

They are crunchy to the bite, ready to be ground and brewed. Once roasted, however, they should be used as quickly as possible before the fresh roast flavour begins to diminish.