Virtual Coffee Round Table #2:
Adding Culture to the Flavor Wheel
Have you ever tasted Black coffee that tastes like brownies? How about Reeses? Purple nerds? Nacho cheese? If you’re like me, the flavor of bergamot a mystery, but orange Kool-Aid is familiar. Or maybe the more than 80 flavors on the Specialty Coffee Association's flavor wheel are intimidating as hell because you experience your coffee notes as musical notes or believe a poetic phrase would better capture your brew’s flavor.
Well. Let’s build a Circle of Flavor with some diversity. That’s what I and a panel of 5 other coffee blerds & nerds are aiming to start on April 25, 2021.
With your help, of course. Meeting this GoFundMe goal will let me buy coffees from 5 Black-owned businesses, which will be listed here mid-March. We’ll use these coffees as our base for this workshop.
Well. Let’s build a Circle of Flavor with some diversity. That’s what I and a panel of 5 other coffee blerds & nerds are aiming to start on April 25, 2021.
With your help, of course. Meeting this GoFundMe goal will let me buy coffees from 5 Black-owned businesses, which will be listed here mid-March. We’ll use these coffees as our base for this workshop.
And why'd I say “Circle of Flavor” instead of the officially named Flavor Wheel, btw? To me, the Flavor Wheel has become a representation of something that’s driving forward a certain group of folks and the idea that there’s just one way to do coffee. It's not meant to be a condemnation, just the symbol it’s been for me. The Circle, like this project, is meant to represent community and inclusivity in a way the industry is kinda lacking.
But tom-a-toe, tom-ah-toe. Whatever you wanna call it, let’s see how far we can push the boundaries of the what’s standard in the coffee experience.
The Panelists:
But tom-a-toe, tom-ah-toe. Whatever you wanna call it, let’s see how far we can push the boundaries of the what’s standard in the coffee experience.
The Panelists:
Virtual Coffee Round Table: Experiences of Black Women Shifting in Coffee Service
On February 12, I hosted a Live Virtual Coffee Round Table with 4 other dope coffee-loving sistahs to re-caffeinate and chat.
Inspired by the book "Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America" by Kumea Shorter-Gooden & Charisse Jones, we talked about our experiences with shifting in the coffee industry as customer service workers. In this context, shifting refers to the pressure that many Black women feel to compromise their true selves as they navigate America's racial and gender prejudices.
Shout out to all the donors + Acaia for being a sponsor of this event!
Inspired by the book "Shifting: The Double Lives of Black Women in America" by Kumea Shorter-Gooden & Charisse Jones, we talked about our experiences with shifting in the coffee industry as customer service workers. In this context, shifting refers to the pressure that many Black women feel to compromise their true selves as they navigate America's racial and gender prejudices.
Shout out to all the donors + Acaia for being a sponsor of this event!
Below is the featured coffee we had for this event.
Mocha Java blend from Eight50 Coffee, a Black + Woman owned biz.
AND
Ethiopia Golocha Harrar Motherland from Black Coffee Roastery, another Black-owned biz!
Mocha Java blend from Eight50 Coffee, a Black + Woman owned biz.
AND
Ethiopia Golocha Harrar Motherland from Black Coffee Roastery, another Black-owned biz!
The Episodes
Support the cause.
Wanna support? Want a lil something for your support? I got you.
Here's the full list of potential benefits available when you become a financial patron on Patreon:
Check out the Patreon page to support and see which benefits you can get with however much you'd like to pledge for the cause.
Here's the full list of potential benefits available when you become a financial patron on Patreon:
- Shout-out in a pod episode or social media post
- Blooper reels + extras from the episodes released that month
- Suggest a video topic, coffee experiment, or guest for the podcast, short video, or a live video
- Choice of NCE swag (coffee mug, new t-shirt or face mask)
- Video that was recorded LIVE on Instagram and not posted. That you-had-to-be-there stuff. Cut a bit to remove the fluff.
- Get a bag of coffee from the featured Black-owned Coffee Biz of the Month, so that you can participate alongside in NCE's monthly live virtual coffee sessions.
Check out the Patreon page to support and see which benefits you can get with however much you'd like to pledge for the cause.