Ice Cream Taster Has Sweet Job
John Harrison has what must be the most wanted job in the United States. He’s the official taster for Edy’s Grand Ice Cream, one of the nation’s best-selling brands. Harrison’s taste buds are insured for $1 million. ___1___ And when he isn’t doing that, he travels, buying Edy’s in supermarkets all over the country so that he can check for perfect appearance, texture, and flavor.
After I interviewed Harrison, I realized that the life of an ice cream taster isn’t all Cookies ’n Cream — a flavor that* he invented, by the way. No, it’s extremely hard work, which requires discipline and selflessness.
For one thing, he doesn’t swallow on the job. Like a coffee taster, Harrison spits. Using a gold spoon to avoid “off” flavors, he takes a small bite and moves it around in his mouth to introduce it to all 9,000 or so taste buds. ___2___ Then he breathes in gently to bring the aroma up through the back of his nose. Each step helps Harrison evaluate whether the ice cream has a good balance of dairy, sweetness, and added ingredients 一 the three-flavor components of ice cream. Then, even if the ice cream tastes heavenly, he puts it into a trash can. A full stomach makes it, impossible to judge the quality of the flavors.
During the workweek, Harrison told me that he has to make other sacrifices, too: no onions, garlic, or spicy food, and no caffeine. Caffeine will block the taste buds, he says, so his breakfast is a cup of herbal tea. ___3___
Harrison’s family has been in the ice cream business in one way or another1 for four generations, so Harrison has spent his entire life with it2. However, he has never lost his love for its cold, creamy sweetness. ___4___ On these occasions3, he does swallow, and he eats about a quart (0.95 liters) each week. By comparison4, the average person in the United States eats 23.2 quarts (21. 96 liters) of ice cream and other frozen dairy products each year.
Edy’s ice cream is available in dozens of flavors. So what flavor does the best-trained ice-cream taster in the country prefer? Vanilla! In fact, vanilla is the best-selling variety in the United States. ___5___ “It’s a very complex flavor,” Harrison says.
词汇：
taste bud 味蕾
texture /'tekst /a/ n. 质地
aroma / 'r um / n. 芳香
vanilla /v 'ml / n. 香草
注释：
1. in one way or another：以某种方式,用这样或那样的方式
2. has spent his entire life with it：为此他已付出一生。spend.…with sth.：花（时间等）在某事上
3. on these occasions：在这种场合下
4. by comparison：相比之下
练习：
A However, you should never call it plain vanilla.
B He even orders ice cream in restaurants for dessert.
C Next he smack-smack-smacks his lips to get some air into the sample.
D This is a small price to pay for what he calls the world’s best job.
E In his younger days, he would help out at the ice cream factory his uncle owned.
F He gets to sample 60 ice creams a day at Edy’s headquarters in Oakland, California.
