Use herbs to become a master coffee taster

Paul Smithson

11/01/2012 11:26:45

Coffee lovers who want to develop their sense of smell can train their nose using herbs, it has been claimed.

Erin Meister, Counter Culture Coffee trainer, wrote on Serious Eats that one of the best ways of becoming a master coffee taster is to learn how to tell the subtle difference between certain ingredients in this way, rather than relying on one’s sense of taste.

To do this, before enjoying another drink made from coffee pods, people can line up a number of different herbs and spices, then guess what they are; making sure to record your guesses along the way.

She said; “Start with something easy and accessible: pour about a tablespoon of several different herbs and spices into collection of jars, and label the bottom with the contents of each.”

In her opinion, training the nose to look out for scents can be especially challenging because there are constantly all sorts of smells in the air that can distract the nostrils.

For experts as well as amateurs, there looks to be change on the horizon in terms of global roasted coffee supplies, according to the Wall Street Journal, which explained that a “lull” in supplies of arabica beans could prompt more companies to increase quantities of robusta beans in their blends.

However, the rising price of the former crop in 2011 means that many brands had already upped the proportion of the latter - more bitter - bean close to the limit. The question for producers is how to keep their products affordable while maintaining a product that is not too bitter.