Barista Magazine

APR-MAY 2017

Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005

Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/804825

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 126 of 131

127 www.baristamagazine.com like wine and that by changing some of the steps in processing, one can change the taste profi le of the coffee cup. This has been one of the most enjoyable challenges in my profession, bringing in creativity and aromatics to the coffee cup. This coffee season, we have been working with a large number of fl avor enzymes, and I am eagerly looking forward to cupping these coffees, which have been subjected to varied timeframes for fermenta- tion with the addition of fl avors, to examine as to how the taste profi le of the cup could be altered and improved. BMag: What about your work at the Coffeelab and working in coffee in general is so gratifying to you? SM: What I fi nd particularly rewarding about my work at Coffeelab is that through tasting, we have been able to improve the livelihood of many farmers, and at the same time, ensure a good cup of coffee to be served to the consumer. Every day, we taste cups and cups of coffee, coming from different farms, located in different coffee regions in India, and when we are able to fi nd out the causative factors for the positives and/or the negatives in the coffee cup, and when these fi ndings are confi rmed by the farmer, we are not only excited, but we are also happy in providing guidelines on how the positives could be further strengthened and the negatives corrected, to upgrade quality and ensure better returns to the farmer. Taking a spoonful of coffee liquid into the palate and then being able to trace the journey of those coffee beans into the coffee cup, the results obtained being confi rmed by the coffee farmer and corrective measures being provided to the farmer are perhaps the most reward- ing items of work that we carry out at the lab. In general, working with coffee is very stimulating, as the aroma and taste of coffee are rejuvenating. But most importantly, the trust and faith that the farmer reposes in our work have been the most rewarding aspect of our work at the lab. BMag: What has your experience been like working directly with women coffee producers? SM: I fi nd it very rewarding, as I fi nd that they are very willing to walk that extra mile and follow your advice with alacrity, patience, and without doubting your integrity. The implicit trust and faith in my abil- ities to guide them to produce a quality product is the best experience that I have had. Of late, I observe that this has also extended to the male Indian coffee farmers too. BMag: After working in coffee for decades, do you still fi nd new things to be excited about? SM: For me, every day, there is some excitement and adventure, and this is what I really love about my work with coffee. Most often, there is something that pops out from the cup, which I have never tasted before, with the coffee cup teaching me something new, something different, something more complex and interesting in its character matrix, which I have not been aware of earlier. Every time I think I know coffee, I realize that there is so much more that I need to learn, that I have not reached the end of the tun- nel, and that there is still a long journey to undertake. Coffee does surprise me with its beautiful taste nuances, with the unpredictable stories that it can tell me, and the excitement comes when the story unfolds just by cupping a spoonful of its liquor. I can never say, "I know it all." The coffee bean is a bean of wisdom, a bean which hum- bles you, a bean which stimulates you, and a bean which aromatizes your senses. online original content for the coffee community EVERY SINGLE DAY. baristamagazine.com

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

view archives of Barista Magazine - APR-MAY 2017