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The tasting of espresso coffee. The different moments of the tasting

The quality of espresso coffee can be discovered in the cup, only. Through tasting it is possible to verify the real quality of the product. It is important to note that all the potentials of coffee can be properly estimated by tasting the espresso coffee

by Luigi Caricato
http://www.luigicaricato.net

Most of the noble substances in the coffee seed are the responsible for the sensation, the aroma and the taste of the drink, assuring in this way a good nutritional level, as well.
The tasting process is composed by a visual exam, an olfactory exam, a tactile test, a taste exam and an after-taste olfactory exam.

The visual exam consists in the observation of the texture and color of the cream. A proper evaluation requires a deep knowledge of the different coffee families and of the respective working procedures. The evaluation, with the cup still, should take place short after the drink preparation, avoiding the cream disaggregation following the temperature decrease.

The olfactory exam. It is first important to notice that the olfactory sensation depends on the chemical interaction of coffee gas molecules with the nose epithelial cells. It is known that in nature the simple water molecules bring smells, but these can’t be sensed since our olfactory system is constantly immersed in such molecules. The case of coffee is different because the receptors sense very well the aromatic particles the coffee releases. The temperature is very important in this case. Normally the coffee temperature as poured in the cup is approximately 80°C; in this condition it expresses all its aromatic potentiality.

For a proper olfactory evaluation, it is necessary to bring the nose close to the cup, without rotating it, and to breath in intensively for a couple of seconds and to take note of our impressions on the tasting form. This operation can be repeated several times, in order to sense some aromas that were not perceived during the first breath. It is also possible to blend the coffee with a specific spoon, wide and hollow, but not all the professional taster agree on this practice.

The tactile exam consists in the evaluation of the sensations deriving from the contact of the coffee with the oral mucous. Besides the drink temperature, it is possible to note the presence of astringent or smoothness notes, the earthy sensation and the so called “structure” of the drink. It is enough to drink just a couple of milliliters of coffee, no more than five, and to leave the liquid to flow through the whole oral cavity.

The taste exam consists in the perception on the tongue of sweet, acid and bitter sensations. For a proper taste evaluation it is necessary that the coffee is at approximately 65°C, in order to exalt tastes. As a matter of fact, at higher temperatures the tasting is compromised by the pain, while at lower temperatures the tasting properties are less effective. The tasted coffee should not be swallowed but spited in a sink.

The after-tasting olfactory exam consists in the indirect evaluation of the aromatic properties of coffee through the retro-nasal channel. It is done after the deglutition of some milliliters of coffee with the mouth slightly open in order to breathe some air in the meantime. This indirect reading of the aromatic notes is more effective than the direct olfactory evaluation. As a matter of fact, through the retro-nasal way the transit speed of smell molecules is slower and it is easier to sense different smells.

by Luigi Caricato
http://www.luigicaricato.net
04 January 2010 Teatro Naturale International n. 1 Year 2

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