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Writer's picturePrashanth Nagaraj

What is Aroma in Coffee, how to enhance your senses?

Coffee provides a complex blend of different flavours and Aromas which together produce a range of sensory experiences having a great NOSE is always a blessing to savour the great aromas of coffee.


COFFEE FLAVOURS WHEEL


Why do we call having a great nose a blessing? Let's understand if everyone smells coffee the same way everyone does. The answer is a big NO.


Let's understand why and see what are the different situations people have that lead to loss of smell. Parosmia is a distorted olfactory sensation in the presence of an odour. This olfactory disorder can affect the quality of life of most people who experience it.

Hyposmia is a partial loss of smell, whereas anosmia is the total inability to perceive the odorants. Parosmia is a distorted smell perception in the presence of an odorant stimulus. Phantosmia is an olfactory hallucination perceived when no odorants are present. Both the olfactory distortions are typically described as unpleasant (rotten, sewage, or burn smell)



Losing the ability to smell, called anosmia, isn’t just a coronavirus phenomenon. Before the pandemic, researchers estimated at least a fifth of the population suffered from anosmia or parosmia, a related where odours are distorted. (For example, something you used to find fragrant now smells foul.) Changes in your sense of smell are typically caused by a virus, cold, or flu damaging receptors in the nose.


Is there a way to get out of this atleast so that we can enjoy our favourite cup of coffee while grinding, brewing and drinking? Let's turn the pages of Yoga as this gives us a view into Pranayama


NADI SHODHANA PRANAYAMA or ANULOM VILOM - Alternate nose breathing.

It takes effort to make sure you do this correctly every single day, lot of people ask me how many days, when your dentist says to brush your teeth do you ask for how many days? This is the same thing EVERY SINGLE DAY. You are doing something which will help you smell better which you have lost.


IDEAL TIME - Around 6 AM, 5 AM is even better

HOW MANY ROUNDS - 9 Rounds

CAN WE REPEAT IN EVENING - Yes


Complete 9 rounds by alternately breathing through both nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril from which you exhaled.

Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort. NOTE: - EXHALATION IS ALWAYS LONGER THAN INHALATION.


This is meditative and helps you relax and has dozens of benefits other than gaining your smell back. Those going to compete in barista championships, those planning to attend sensory training, those planning for PG Diploma in Coffee. Those of you who are looking to make a career in coffee start practising this from today and thank me later.


I had a loss of smell and I followed Nadi Shodhana Pranayama this helped me to get back to smelling abilities, being in the coffee industry and if you cannot smell you know what I mean.


If you have any suggestions or feedback please leave a comment below, if this helped you don't forget to share and spread the good smell around.




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