Being able to distinguish the different coffee flavors or any other food, for that matter, depends our the six tastes on our tongue – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, fatty, umami (that’s Japanese for the savory taste of cooked meat) – and the multitude of aromas that are detected by our nose.
I’m currently reading a book by Avery Gilbert entitled, What the Nose Knows – the science of scent in everyday life. One comment he makes that I found encouraging and interesting is that most people think they are stunted in their ability to smell and differentiate aromas. The truth is that most of us just lack the vocabulary to describe what we are smelling.
So that made me think, maybe all we need is a cheat sheet the next time we try to describe the taste of our next cup of coffee. I personally have a short list. It is not the official coffee tasting list – which looks too intimidating to me – too many choices. But I think my list is a good start.
Fruity – Floral – Nutty – Chocolaty – Burnt
Tomorrow morning when you are drinking your cup of coffee – see if the taste or aroma falls into any of those categories.
Tags: Coffee Tasting
