When a friend mentioned to me that they had a new coffee maker I naturally assumed there would be a shiny new coffee pot and heater unit sitting on the kitchen counter top. But that wasn t the event at all. My friend had been introduced to a new Barista whose new espresso coffee recipes were making a big stir with the local office crowd.
My knowledge of such a profession was sadly lacking but I became very impressed with the skill, knowledge of beans and roasts, and the deft handling of a large variety of complex and subtle coffee drink recipes. Indeed, the whole art of making coffee requires an array of skills, an advanced knowledge of product and months of practice and that was something that was very impressive.
The actual word Barista is really Italian for bartender but in the English language it has come to mean someone who prepares espresso based coffee drinks, although in North America generally the term has been used for any one employed in a coffee house situation. I like the comparison with the word for wine expert which is Sommelier as a Barista must also be highly trained in all aspects of coffee, roasting, blending and the use of espresso equipment. Goodness knows how many different types of coffee there are in the world or even more relevant, how many different blends!
A coffee maker can be a finely educated athlete when it comes to mixing exotic espresso drinks and there are competitive events around the globe where a barista can show his or her skills, but it takes flair, training and much practice to be considered for such performances. The Olympians of the coffee makers world.
Monte Carlo was the site of the first World Barista Championship and that was in 2000 and it quickly caught on. Almost ten years later, the World Championships are held in a different country each year and host the winners of the various national titles. Judges assess the drink made and the person who made it. The score includes not only taste but presentation and speed, as preparation is against the clock with only fifteen minutes being allowed for each Baristas performance.
Every entrant must use the espresso machine provided but many bring a whole grab bag of exotic ingredients. Syrups, sprinkles, fruits, ground spices and even their own blended coffee roasts. In fact they must prepare four signature drinks, four different cappuccinos and four espressos while four judges sample, taste and smell: all with foam art and graphics, to complete the presentation. Fifteen minutes can mean a whole lot!
Winners have made coffee drinks with cane sugar, pepper gel, lavender, white pepper, infused sage leaves, honey and dark chocolate squares. The 2004 World Champion from Canada named Sammy Piccolo, used raw sugar, egg yolks, curry, bittersweet chocolate and milk with his specially blended coffee roast and called his winning creation Insieme .
These competitions require dedication and hard training, just like any athlete working towards a World Championship and this puts a whole new perspective on the phrase Coffee Maker , so when you are considering your next cup of espresso, think about some new recipes and some new flavorings and maybe you could be our next representative.
Author Resource:
Dave is the author of http://www.findcoffeemaker.net , a regularly updated blog on finding and evaluating that perfect coffee maker for your next cup of coffee. Everything coffee from http://Findcoffeemaker.net
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