Coffland Corp: Meet Sunalini Menon

In a tea-growing country, Menon was the first coffee taster in her continent!

Coffee is not just a delicious beverage sold around the world. It has had an impact on many lives, which makes it hard to count how much this industry influences worldwide.

A perfect example of this, is Sunalini Menon, a woman who is considered one of the most influential people in the coffee universe!

The first lady of coffee

Sunalini Menon was born in India, a place where coffee culture didn’t exist until some years ago. On that time, people in India only drank tea or related drinks. Menon was graduated as a dietetic specialist, and one day she saw an opportunity that changed her life.

But many years ago, a child Menon was visiting her uncle in Munan. He had a job as a tea taster and every day he spent most of his time watching tea decoction and taking notes.

Menon was so interested in her uncle's job that she tried for herself. When she spit the tea product, she was amazed: that was horrible! What kind of people enjoy a drink that uses a disgusting source? Due to this taste experience, Menon realizes the importance of the tasters to improve the products quality.

While she was looking for a job in dietetics, she saw a casting for coffee tasters in an Indian coffee company. Such a rare announce! Who loves coffee more than tea in India? Intrigued, Menon decided to take the test.

On the first sign, she was the only female candidate, but that didn’t decrease her confidence. Menon was brilliant, and since then her professional office is related to coffee tasting, making her the "First Woman in Coffee" in whole Asia.

Sunalini Menon today

Since then, she trained her senses to evaluate the quality of Indian coffee against the European one. Menon was convinced that Robusta coffee could lead the coffee market even when Arabica and other coffee products have an advantage.

After 20 years as an Assistant Coffee Taster in the Indian company, she assumes a role leading the Cupping department. But on that time, Menon discovered that she had enough experience to start a new way in the area. That's why she started her own coffee tasting business to support Robusta coffee. She attended to many courses around the world, winning some important partners.

Nowadays, Sunalini Menon is one of the big bosses in coffee tasting. As the only female in this charge, she becomes a coffee star, being an example of excellence and hard work for other women who want to join the coffee business.

Here at Coffland Corp, we support this kind of coffee stories because of their passion and integrity. Would you like us to share another inspiring story? What's yours?