Sensory Skills Day 1 in Kathmandu: Calibrating a Shared Taste Language

Our SCA Sensory Skills Intermediate class in Kathmandu began by building shared taste references. Students compared sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami tastes at four intensity levels, taking time to discuss what they noticed and how strongly they perceived it.

The day included more than 12 FlavorActiv samples and over 30 taste solutions. Tasting these variations side by side gave the group a practical way to explore intensity, interaction and balance. Students could compare their impressions while the references were still fresh in their memory.

FlavorActiv, Coffee Attribute and Coffee Defect kits supported the exercises. We introduced the tools through a Train the Trainer approach, encouraging participants to understand the references and explain their observations to one another. Careful tasting and open discussion helped the group calibrate together.

Thank you to Nepal Coffee Producers Association and HAMRO COFFEE for supporting this sensory training. The album below captures the class working around the table and establishing a common language before the next stage of the course.