Coffee beans with high fatty acid methyl ester content and method of making same

A method for increasing a fatty acid methyl ester content of a coffee bean, comprising the steps of:

• a) supplying a methyl group donor to a coffee bean;
• b) warm-treating the methyl group donor supplied coffee bean;
• and
• c) roasting the warm-treated coffee bean to obtain a roasted coffee bean,
• wherein the roasted coffee bean comprises methyl isovalerate and methyl palmitate as fatty acid methyl esters, and
• wherein the roasted coffee bean has (i) a fatty acid methyl ester content of 29.5 μg or more per gram of the roasted coffee bean;
• (ii) a methyl isovalerate content of 0.10 μg or more per gram of the roasted coffee bean;
• and (iii) a methyl palmitate content of 28.0 μg or more per gram of the roasted coffee bean.

A method for evaluating a coffee bean, comprising:

• a step of measuring a fatty acid methyl ester content of the coffee bean;
• and
• a step of comparing the fatty acid methyl ester content with a predetermined value to evaluate a flavor of the coffee bean,
• wherein the following values correspond to an improved flavor:
• (i) a fatty acid methyl ester content of 29.5 μg or more per gram of the coffee bean;
• (ii) a methyl isovalerate content of 0.10 μg or more per gram of the coffee bean;
• and (iii) a methyl palmitate content of 28.0 μg or more per gram of the coffee bean.