Queen of Beans' cup runneth over
The woman helping fuel Hong Kong's passion for coffee wants customers to learn more about the trade as she expands her empire
Centuries of wine-drinking have helped create a sophisticated culture of bouquets, blends and body. Now it's coffee's turn, and Jennifer Liu Wai-fun is at the forefront.
The wine tasters of the coffee world are called Q graders. They rate the quality of coffee beans on a scale from 0 to 10 in a process called "cupping", she explains.
They work in teams of four, testing freshly brewed black coffee but do not confer with each other as they rate aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity and body, among other factors. A score of six means good quality, while nine stands for outstanding.
"One day before cupping, they should stick to plain food, such as bread. Other days, they should also cut down on smoking and consumption of spice and alcohol."
The taste buds of these professionals are highly valuable assets. Coffee taster Gennaro Pelliccia, who samples products for Costa Coffee, has had his tongue insured for £10 million (HK$118 million), according to newspaper reports. The sum beat that of Bordeaux winemaker Ilja Gort, who took out a £3.9 million policy to protect his nose.
The Q graders originally used to help coffee farmers test the quality of their beans so that they got the right price from large corporations. Now they also assist coffee shops on quality control.