What’s On has details of Gennaro Pelliccia coming to Dubai, the man who works as coffee taster for Costa Coffee and has his tongue insured for Dhs60m.

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– Cafe Culture in Dubai
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We’ve heard of hands being insured (Keith Richards: Dhs5.9million), legs (David Beckham: Dhs26million), and even backsides (J Lo: Dhs1billion), but a tongue insured for a staggering sum? That’s a first.

The man in possession of the world’s most expensive tongue is not a famous musician, but an Italian barista. Gennaro Pelliccia’s coffee tasting skills are so highly prized by his bosses at Costa they’ve insured his tongue for the sum of Dhs60million.

Based in London, the 39-year-old barista is flying into Dubai in October to visit the city’s Costa branches and brew up some espressos, cappuccinos, and ristrettos. The masterclass takes place at Costa Coffee at the dnata centre on Sheikh Zayed Road, and is absolutely free.

Pelliccia, who is a fan of Colombian and Kenyan blends, has described his quirky role as “the best job in the world”, but admits being a coffee taster does have its drawbacks.

“My job is all to do with my senses and taste buds, so I have to be very careful with what I eat and drink,” he told 7Days. “I can’t have a lot of spicy food because it can hurt my taste buds.

“Sometimes in the afternoons your mind can be very stressed and your senses can be blocked, so I drink a lot of water.”

**How to taste coffee – the lowdown from the region’s only Q-Grader**

He added: “I’m originally Italian, so I really love food. I’m a massive food and wine lover but I have to keep myself in check and not to overdo it.”

And as for his masterclass?

“My objective is come to the espresso masterclass and teach the public what the barista has to do to create the range of coffees we offer,” he said. “For example, I will teach them how to make a cup of Costa’s espresso from the very start.”