What is body in coffee cupping?

Body refers to the physical sensation of coffee in the mouth - its weight, texture, and how it coats the palate. It's one of the ten attributes scored on the SCA cupping form and is evaluated separately from flavour and acidity. A coffee can be described as light-bodied (thin, watery, delicate), medium-bodied, or full-bodied (heavy, syrupy, coating).

Body is primarily determined by the concentration of dissolved solids, oils, and colloidal particles suspended in the brewed coffee. Higher concentrations of these compounds produce a heavier, more viscous mouthfeel. Processing method significantly influences body: natural-processed coffees tend to have fuller body than washed coffees from the same origin, because the extended contact with drying fruit allows more lipids and sugars to migrate into the bean. Indonesian wet-hulled coffees are typically the fullest-bodied of all, a direct result of the Giling Basah process.

Roast level also affects body - darker roasts generally feel heavier and more coating than lighter roasts from the same green coffee, as roasting breaks down cellular structure and releases more oils. For buyers evaluating green coffee, body is a useful signal for how a coffee will perform across different brew methods and market positioning - a full-bodied coffee that coats the palate tends to perform well as espresso; a lighter-bodied coffee with high clarity suits filter brewing.