There are many professions, each of which has its own characteristics and advantages. The cook and pastry chef - create delicious culinary masterpieces, doctors - take care of our health, teachers - bring knowledge to the world, etc. But what is special about the taster profession? What does this specialist do? How important is his work?
General information
The taster is a kind of guarantor of the quality of the products or goods manufactured by any enterprise. As a rule, this is a specialist working in a certain direction.
So, someone is interested in tasting cheese and dairy products. Other experts prefer to evaluate the quality of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, tea, tobacco. Still others are testing perfumed fragrances. In this test products can be tested at various stages of production. This can be the initial stage, including an assessment of the raw materials used, and the final one (when a product is considered that is on store shelves).
What is a tasting?
The tasting prompts the specialist to take certain actions. Their sequence and complexity directly depends on the product itself, which needs testing. So, depending on the type of tested goods, specialists have to:
- Test them for strength.
- Check the taste (literally try on the tooth).
- Touch to the touch.
- Listen to sound, vibration intensity.
- Pick up the smell.
- Evaluate the "bouquet", etc.
When is taster help needed?
The help of this specialist is needed not only when product tasting is required, but also necessary in the production process, during the purchase of finished raw materials or the development of a new blend and taste. This is especially true for companies specializing in winemaking, perfumed products, as well as companies selling blended coffee or tea.
What skills should a taster have?
The tasting is not complete without a specialist of the appropriate level. This specialist should have excellent sense of smell, touch and the ability to capture all the subtleties of the taste of the product.
According to statistics, only 15% of all people on earth can have an innate tendency to test. It is believed that it is almost impossible to teach all the subtleties of sensitivity. However, if any specialist has certain abilities for this, then it is quite realistic to strengthen and develop them to the required level.
So, many potential tasters are working on their ability to distinguish smells and tastes. With all their might they are trying to strengthen these feelings, while developing their own personal tactics. It is believed that the expert’s qualifications, level of sensitivity and sensory memory are able to improve over the years.
What is the complexity of the profession?
During the tasting it is not so easy to distinguish one smell from another. For example, it is quite difficult for an ordinary person to recognize the aroma of flowers after rain, to distinguish the smell of a new leather portfolio from the freshly blossomed cherry flowers.
It is noteworthy that the taster does not just distinguish all these smells. He remembers them. Therefore, in his concept a special portfolio is formed of these very smells and their shades. And how much this portfolio will be large and capacious, and the demand and payment of a specialist depend on it.
In addition, during the tasting, the expert does not just examine the products for taste and color. He compares his results with pre-existing options in his memory. As a result, he is able to offer various combinations and variations of smells and tastes that will be perfectly combined with each other.
Features and tasting rules
During product testing, the expert needs to focus. And for this expert, nothing should be distracting. This applies not only to extraneous noise, bright light, but also excess odors. Therefore, most often testing of any products takes place in a special room - a tasting room.
This is usually a large or medium, well-lit room with no windows. Its walls and doors may contain soundproofing material. It is in such a room that an expert will be able to easily isolate himself from the outside world and evaluate the quality of a product in need of testing.
In addition, before tasting, experts do not drink alcohol, avoid smoking, and do not eat dishes that have a pungent smell and taste. They also try not to use toilet water, shower gels and other chemicals that have a bright smell. This approach helps them prepare their receptors and sets up specialists to the wave they need.
What is included in the tasks of the taster?
Many people think that one of the main tasks of the taster is to choose the best option among the tested products. However, this is not quite true. Its tasks are much more global. For example, he needs to perform the following actions:
- Explore all types of tested products.
- Remember every taste and smell heard.
- Describe in particular the features of taste and smell.
- Fill out a special form indicating all the pros and cons of the goods.
- To draw conclusions taking into account the recommendations for the possible combination of certain flavors.
Leaf Tea Tasting
During testing leaf tea, the specialist pays attention not only to the taste and visual qualities of the product. For some time he studies tea leaves. According to some reports, he can hold them in his hands, trying to touch, smell them and even listen to their rustling. Then, he draws attention to the color of the drink in its finished form. And only after that begins to evaluate his taste.
Alcohol tasting
In addition to various products, tasters often test alcoholic beverages. During this process, special transparent glasses on long legs, reminiscent of a tulip, are used. Usually their capacity does not exceed 200 ml. Even in spite of this, the taster does not pour the drink into it to the brim. According to experts, for the test it is enough to pour 50 ml, for example, of wine.
When evaluating white and red wines, it is recommended to serve first white and then red wines. But in order to, so to speak, nullify their taste and tactile memory, between testing several types of wine, experts rinse their mouth with neutral mineral water and sometimes eat pieces of fresh white bread. The pause between testing several types of alcoholic drinks usually takes no more than 15-20 minutes.
What can interfere?
Tasting food to taste and color, tasters, like other representatives of different professions, may experience certain difficulties. For example, an expert may catch a cold. As a result, his sensitivity will be reduced due to illness.
In this case, they try to recover faster or take preventative measures in advance, which allow them to reduce the risks of colds. Sometimes specialists are reinsured in the literal and figurative sense.
To avoid unpleasant moments, experts draw up an insurance policy. For example, famous coffee tasting specialist Dave Roberts decided to insure his own nose for $ 2 million. And all because it was the nose that helped him guess the place of origin and the quality of the coffee beans by their special smell.
Another specialist Gennaro Pelitzia, who is the main expert on coffee, chose to insure his taste buds. At the same time, in the event of the loss of its sensitive ability, the insurance company would have to shell out $ 10 million.
As you can see, a taster is a very rare, but very important profession. It is these specialists who help in the creation of new products, aromas and tastes.