Researchers find three unique strains of yeast that help ferment coffee and cacao beans and may give the treats their unique flavours.

Though dogs are usually considered humankind’s best friend, if you really think about it, the animal that gives many people the most joy is yeast. More specifically, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the species of yeast used for making wine, raising bread and fermenting beer. Now, new research indicates that various strains of the wonder yeast may also give different regional coffees and chocolates their distinct flavours.

S. cerevisiae actually has many more purposes beyond food and drink. Scientists use this yeast extensively in lab research because the single-celled organism has a structure similar to human cells, but reproduces very, very quickly. That’s the reason behind testing drugs on yeast, studying the genes of yeast and even sending the stuff into space.