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Writer's picture Thư Phạm

Should Q Graders be certified in both Arabica and Robusta?


Q Grader có nên lấy 2 chứng chỉ Q Arabica và Q Robusta?
Should Q Graders be certified in both Arabica and Robusta?

Adding to her significant experience and qualifications, CQI Quality Evaluation Specialist and Q Arabica Instructor Trish Rothgeb recently earned her Q Robusta Grader certificate at SOCOF Lab in Bangkok.


Let's follow HQJ to learn more about Trish's experience and why she thinks it's important for Q Graders to be certified in both Arabica and Robusta.


Trish: My entrance into quality coffee began as so many others in our business - as a barista serving exclusively arabica coffee. Even as CQI developed the Robusta program, I was content to be an observer and not a participant.


In recent years though, I've had the good fortune to cup alongside Q Robusta Graders, and while my curiosity and fondness for Robusta grew, I always felt like I couldn't really contribute to the conversation. I knew there was a big gap in my understanding of quality coffee, partly because I had never gotten my Q Robusta Grader certification. By extension, huge swaths of the coffee industry were lost on me. I just wasn't qualified enough to do what I have always tried to do, which is to help improve coffee in any and all ways I can.


Learning about Robusta for six full days of the course was a pleasure. I learned that I didn't miss tasting Arabica every day. I didn't continually compare Arabica to Robusta. I wasn't made to cup any more "bad" samples than I would have during an Arabica course. I began to understand the parallel universe of Robusta flavours. I am also a coffee roaster/retailer, and I found myself finding places within the market where these coffees could and should fit.

The quest continues because I know that one Robusta course does not make me an expert. I do feel more equipped to taste Robusta. I'm happy to keep my opinions open and constructive as I look forward to tasting and learning more!

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