Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/659497
a rarity. Even in the age of single-origin coffees, it's still uncommon to find coffee lots that are separated by variety. (Often, farmers don't even know what variety they have, so transparency is difficult.) It's even more rare to be able to taste varieties from the same farm, pro- cessed the same way, roasted by the same roaster—conditions that allow you to really appreciate and isolate the impact that genetics have on flavor. Is it any wonder very few people know the flavor dif- ference between Bourbon and Pacamara? On the other hand, it's clear that varieties of Arabica are not as distinct as they might be if Arabica were more genetically diverse. What, really, are the differences among varieties in terms of flavor? Scientists at WCR will be studying this exact question using the new World Coffee Research Sensory Lexicon, which allows them to map specific flavor attributes and isolate which (if any) are unique to different varieties, as opposed to being the result of environmental conditions or farm management practices. Will it be possible for coffee breeders to preserve some of the best and most interesting flavors with traits like disease resistance? It seems like the answer might be yes—but time is running short. The world's reservoirs of coffee genetic diversity are diminishing. Climate change is already affecting the coffeelands. As I carefully lay out my grandmother's china cups on a linen towel to dry, attentive to their age and fragility, I think about the kind of effort that is required—global, collaborative, careful forward-think- ing—to tend to something as precious and vulnerable as an entire species' genetic diversity. 88 barista magazine