In this intriguing episode of The Nose, we delve into the fascinating world of our olfactory system and its profound impact on our lives. Discover how old-timers used a simple box of matches as a tool to clear the air, and why certain scents can instantly transport you back to childhood memories, like the aroma of freshly baked cookies. Explore the essential role of smell in human survival throughout history, from detecting danger in Neolithic times to enhancing cinematic experiences in the 1950s.

Join us as we unravel the mystery of how your olfactory system begins its work long before your first breath, shaping your flavor perceptions and emotional connections. Learn about the twin pathways of smell, orthonasal and retronasal, and how they come into play every time you enjoy a cup of coffee. This episode will change the way you think about scents, memories, and the profound connection between smell and taste.

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5 Key Takeaways :

1. Your Olfactory System is Primal and Powerful: It's not just for enjoying nice smells; it's deeply wired for survival, memory, and emotion, influencing you even before birth.
2. Smell is the Gatekeeper of Flavor: Much of what we perceive as "taste" is actually aroma detected by our olfactory system, especially through retronasal olfaction when eating or drinking.
3. There are Two Distinct Ways to Smell: Orthonasal (sniffing directly) gives you the initial "fragrance," while retronasal (aromas from your mouth to your nasal cavity during/after a sip) provides the deeper "aroma" and flavor complexity in coffee.
4. Coffee Offers a Two-Part Scent Journey: The "fragrance" of dry coffee grounds is different from the "aroma" released when hot water meets the grounds and when you taste it. Paying attention to both enhances appreciation.
5. You Can Train Your Nose: Understanding the mechanics of smell allows you to consciously engage your olfactory system, improving your ability to discern and enjoy the nuances in specialty coffee.

3 Questions:

1. What's a coffee aroma that instantly transports you to a specific memory or place? Share your story!
2. Have you ever noticed the difference between the fragrance of dry coffee grounds and the aroma once it's brewed? What changes did you perceive?
3. Have you ever been caught off guard by a smell in your coffee—something unexpected, yet unforgettable? What was it?

Olfactory Activity

Want a firsthand demonstration of how powerful your sense of smell really is? Grab a few flavored jelly beans and a science buddy.

1. Close your eyes, pinch your nose, and hold out your hand.

2. Have your partner place a jelly bean in your palm (no peeking!).

3. Still keeping your nose pinched, pop the jelly bean in your mouth and start chewing.

4. It’ll taste like nothing more than sweetness… at first.

5. Now, release your nose about a third of the way through—and get ready. Suddenly, the true flavor (peach? popcorn? cotton candy?) will rush in.

That dramatic shift? That’s retronasal olfaction—your nose and brain working together to decode flavor once scent is reintroduced. It’s a simple, fun way to experience just how much we rely on smell to truly taste.

Glossary

Fragrance The smell of coffee before brewing—light scents released from dry grounds.

Aroma The smell released during and after brewing—the full coffee experience.

Volatile compounds Scent molecules that easily become airborne and reach your nose.

Olfactory system: Your body’s complete smell detection network—from nose to brain.

Olfactory receptors: Tiny "smell detectors" in your nose that catch scent molecules.

Olfactory bulb: Your brain's "smell processing center" that sorts and sends smell signals.

Nasal cavity: The hollow space inside your nose where smell detection happens.

Limbic system: The emotional control center of your brain that links smells to memories and feelings.

Join La Taza Habla as we embark on a fascinating 20-year journey into the world of specialty coffee, challenging deeply ingrained notions of "quality." This episode unpacks the intriguing paradox between objective quality, like that of a well-made knife, and the often subjective, performative "quality" applied to coffee. We explore how global definitions of excellent coffee are frequently excluded from mainstream narratives, often due to market leverage. Discover how terms like "ethical," "direct trade," and "sustainable" can sometimes mask power imbalances in the bean to cup journey, leading to farmwashing and greenwashing. From coffee origin to coffee roasting, we scrutinize whose voices define "quality" in the specialty coffee industry and ask: can we redefine quality to be more inclusive, embracing context, culture, and community beyond cupping scores and café aesthetics? This episode promises to shift your perspective on what "good" coffee truly means.

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• Travel the World from Your Kitchen Table: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.

5 Takeaways:

1. Objective vs. Subjective Quality: Unlike a knife, where quality is objectively measurable (e.g., metallurgy, durability), coffee "quality" is often subjective, performative, and heavily influenced by cultural and market biases.
2. The "Quality" Illusion in Coffee: The coffee industry markets "quality" as an objective standard (e.g., numbers, labels, "specialty" badges), but it's largely defined by Western preferences and buyer gatekeeping, ignoring diverse global understandings.
3. Excluded Voices: Many cultures have their own discerning definitions of good coffee, but these are frequently excluded from mainstream conversations due to a lack of market leverage, not insight.
4. Structural Power Imbalance: Those who define coffee quality are typically buyers, roasters, and marketers, not the growers, cultural stewards, or non-Western consumers, leading to practices like farmwashing and greenwashing.
5. Rethinking Quality: True "quality" in coffee should be re-evaluated to be more expansive, informed by context, culture, and community, moving beyond narrow cupping scores or café aesthetics.

3 Questions:

1. How has your personal definition of "quality coffee" evolved, especially after considering the episode's insights on subjectivity and cultural bias?
2. Can you think of other products or experiences where "quality" is marketed as objective but is, in fact, highly subjective or culturally influenced?
3. What steps do you think consumers can take to better understand the true origins and definitions of coffee quality, beyond marketing labels?

Glossary:

1. "Farmwashing": Using misleading imagery of happy farmers or ethical practices to hide unfair labor conditions or exploitative trade.
2. "Greenwashing": Exaggerating environmental claims or presenting misleading eco-friendly information to appear more sustainable than a company truly is.
3. "Q-Grader Certification": A professional certification for coffee tasters, signifying a high level of sensory evaluation skill. Q-graders learn a standardized system to assess coffee quality based on specific attributes like aroma, flavor, acidity, and body.
4. "Cupping Session": A standardized method for evaluating coffee quality, where tasters systematically assess roasted coffee brewed in specific proportions, usually in a series of cups.
5. "Cup Score": A numerical rating given to coffee during a cupping session, based on a standardized scoring sheet. A higher score typically indicates more desirable characteristics according to the cupping protocol.
6. "Roast Profile": The specific roasting process a coffee undergoes, which impacts its flavor, aroma, and body. Different roast profiles (e.g., light, medium, dark) highlight different characteristics of the bean.

High in the mountains of Costa Rica, a coffee farmer told me something that stopped me in my tracks: "La Taza Habla". Join me as I unpack this profound insight and share four simple questions that will help you hear what your coffee has been trying to tell you. This is part one of a series on tasting coffee like you've never experienced before.

Start your conversation with these four questions:

1. Do you like your coffee safe or spunky?

2. Does it remind you of a place or experience?

3. If this coffee were a color, what would it be?

4. What food does this remind you of?

• Share Your Story and Comments: Leave us a voice message using SpeakPipe
• Stay Connected: Get exclusive coffee stories & tips delivered to your inbox
• Travel the World from Your Kitchen Table: Bald Guy Brew Coffee Roasting Co.