What would life be without spicy food, ice-creams, perfumes, fragrant flowers, late-night parties and alcohol? Ask Sunalini Menon, who swears by this regimen.
No, she’s not a health freak or someone prone to allergies. She’s been practising abstinence for the sake of her passion, which is also her profession.
Asia’s first and only woman professional in the field of coffee cupping (tasting), Sunalini has experienced the aroma of several thousands of coffee types and spent a considerable time in the fields. “I love ice-creams and soft drinks but they affect my taste buds. My profession requires them to be extremely sensitive. So, I steer clear of cold food items or beverages,” she said. The chief executive of Coffeelab, one of India’s largest coffee exporters, Sunalini spoke to TOI on the ocassion of Coffee Santhe, a three-day carnival hosted by Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath.
Restraint and discipline are core attributes of a good coffee cupper. “It is essential to preserve the palate, the instrument vital for coffee tasting. We’re advised to avoid spicy food. Alcohol and smoking are a strict no no. Late nights and poor health can be a hindrance to the job,” she explained.
Coffee cuppers have to perform regular tongue exercises not only to keep their taste buds active but also to pick up foreign flavours. “Cupping with experts from other parts of the world helps calibrate one’s potential and understand the coffee produce of other countries. One also needs to perceive through the eyes, nose and palate of other cuppers,” she said.
Habituated to taking a sip and playfully swirling the liquid in her mouth before spitting, Sunalini said her job doesn’t allow her to swallow the coffee, however aromatic and delicious it be. “Coffee can have the distinct enzymatic flavours of apples, apricots, peaches and berries; sugar-browning flavours of chocolate, caramel, honey or those of spices like clove and pepper. It is an inborn acuity of taste, knowledge, experience, memory and good communication skills which help the cupper differentiate one flavour from another,” she said.
Sunalini, who entered the male bastion decades ago, said her journey hasn’t been easy. “I wasn’t lucky enough to be handheld when learning the tricks of the trade. I had to learn on my own, especially the chemistry of the coffee bean. It took a long time for me to be accepted into the fold, but once there, you are in,” she said.
Cupping as a Career
There are certifications for coffee tasters issued by the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). The SCAA issues two types of certificates. One is called the Licensed ‘Q’ grader and the other, the Licensed ‘R’ grader. The ‘Q’ grader licence is a certificate for proficiency in evaluating arabica coffees and the ‘R’ grader for proficiency in evaluating robusta coffees,” said Sunalini.
She admitted that coffee tasting as a career could have some limitations.
“To overcome them, one needs to perhaps complement tasting with other jobs such growing, roasting or marketing coffee,” she said.Coffee tasting is more of a passion; it may not help you financially, especially in the first 10 or 12 years. Credibility comes only through knowledge and experience,” Sunalini signed off.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bengaluru / by Sreemoyee Chatterjee, TNN / September 26th, 2015
