What Does Bland Mean?
Bland is an adjective that could mean “dull, insipid; absent taste or flavor or tang” such as ‘bland hospital food; or “lacking interesting distinctiveness; uninteresting” like a ‘bland lengthy novel’; or “politic: easily pleasant and considerate with a degree of complexity” such as ‘he smiled blandly and let the matter drop’. The most common usage of the term bland is in the context of something dull and insipid, especially with reference to food. While the dictionary meaning of the term is ‘gentle, balmy, mild’ in other areas such as in winemaking, it would denote ‘without character’. In terms of coffee on the other hand, bland refers to ‘A main coffee flavor feeling created as sugars in the coffee combine with salts to decrease the general saltiness of the brew.’ It is perceived via the sides of the tongue, varying in flavor from “soft” to neutral. This is usually seen in washed Arabica coffees.
