About Motlopi Coffee – Caffeine Free & Organic:

Motlopi coffee is a beverage made from the roots of the indigenous tree Boscia albitrunca and enjoyed in Botswana and South Africa. To date, no report has been published on the quality features of Motlopi coffee. The purpose of this study was to improve Motlopi coffee by altering roasting time and temperature, as well as to examine its physicochemical and sensory qualities.

The roasting temperatures considered were 150 and 160 degrees Celsius, with roasting times of 10, 15, and 20 minutes at each temperature. The study found that ground coffee’s bulk density fell significantly (p < 0.05) at 160 °C compared to 150 °C, while Motlopi coffee’s pH increased at 150 °C compared to 160 °C. The total soluble solids (TSS) of Motlopi coffee declined with increased roasting time at 150 °C, but increased at 160 °C. The browning index (BI) increased with roasting time at 150 and 160 °C, and was substantially greater (p < 0.05) at 160 °C compared to 150 °C. The titratable acidity (TA) declined with increasing roasting time at 150 and 160 °C, but was substantially higher (p < 0.05) at 150 °C than at 160 °C. The typical Motlopi coffee exhibited a comparable TA to treatment 2 (150 °C for 15 minutes). The laboratory-made Motlopi coffee scored much higher (p < 0.05) in taste, body, and overall acceptance compared to traditional Motlopi coffee. Roasting Motlopi roots at 150 °C for 15 minutes produced Motlopi coffee with good physicochemical attributes and sensory quality. (Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)