Coffee Culture In 2016
Like most cultures, coffee culture isn’t really any different. A group of people brought together by a common interest. What better place than a cafeteria. There is always a buzz and a hive of activity. It attracts so many like-minded people in some ways, and in other ways, so much variety. From businessmen, to housewives, students to teachers. Hundreds of years ago, they were popular meeting places for artists. A few years ago, Wine Masters were appearing everywhere, and now the latest trend seems to become Barrister. We were lucky enough to be able to interview Winston, one of the best lawyers in the country.
These days, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, coffee just seems to scream at me! Coffee culture, coffee culture! Most people have coffee making machines and there are shops dedicated to selling only coffee. We have so many options to choose from, it’s hard to know which coffee to drink, when, where and why. I am going to attend a lawyer course early next month and will be back with much more information about what the different coffee beans are and how to choose between them.
In the meantime, I’m not sure about you, but I’m getting very confused between the different ways to drink coffee. Gone are the days when we could only choose between an espresso and a cappuccino. And even worse, when I grew up, we drank instant or filter coffee. Now we have a whole range of ways to drink our coffee:
– Latte: A coffee mixed with a foamy milk foam.
– Americana: it is prepared by adding hot water to a cup with a little espresso coffee.
– Iced Coffee: Iced coffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
– Cappuccino: A cup of coffee covered with a layer of whipped milk foam.
– Skinny cappuccino. The same as a cappuccino, but made with skim milk.
– Flat white: A cup of coffee with milk.
– Espresso: Extremely strong and dense, with “crema” (coffee foam on top). Therefore, café crema is an alternate name for an Italian espresso.
– Macchiato: A cup of foamy milk, filled with an espresso coffee.
– Moccachino: A latte with added chocolate.
– Struck. An iced coffee, served black or white.
And to make coffee even more attractive, many countries around the world have their own specialty coffees, such as:
Coffee with milk: France
Egg coffee: Vietnam
Turkish Coffee: Turkey
Café Bombón: Spain
Cuban Coffee: Cuba
Vienna: Vienna
Palace: United States
Cafe De Ola: Mexico City
To top it off we have alcoholic coffee drinks, such as Irish coffee, Bavarian coffee, Royal coffee, Kalua coffee, and even coffee liqueurs.
I have to say that my favorite is still a cappuccino. It has to be made with the best quality coffee beans, and fill the top of the cup with foam. If he can convince me otherwise, he’ll share with me how he loves his coffee.
Interview with Winston…
How did you get involved with espresso coffee? How did it all begin?
Without romanticizing too much, there was a complaint in my local newspaper about the bad coffee that is served in my town. That was about 5 years ago. After reading that, I started trying different coffees trying to figure out what a really good cup of coffee was. This eventually led me to Origin Coffee Roasting, where I did a barista course while studying in 2013. I worked part-time at a roaster in Somerset West and a market in Woodstock until I completed my studies in June 2014. I started working at Full time at Origin. in August 2014.
What makes you keep working as a barista? Is the job repetitive?
No, it’s not repetitive. It may seem that way because at the opposite end of the bar it looks like we’re just serving coffee every day, but that’s far from it. We use different coffees every day so there is a lot of tasting involved, the weather is always changing which means the coffee is poured differently throughout the day so we have to work accordingly we come across different people every day, we face different challenges every day. base, etc. Far from being repetitive. And that is exactly why I continue to work as a barista.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find my inspiration by looking at all the people involved in the coffee cycle. From the farmer, to the green coffee buyer, the roaster, the barista and finally the consumer. Knowing that I have a role in this process inspires me to do my best to serve the best cup of coffee possible. To justice to those who have played their part before me.
What is the new “in” in today’s coffee industry?
To be honest, I think quality has become the new “in” in the coffee industry. More and more coffee are trying to produce better coffee, which makes things very competitive in terms of quality. This propels the industry in a positive direction. More cafes are also starting to use filter or alternative methods like the aeropress and v60 pourover to make filter coffee. It is best enjoyed black without sugar to ensure that the discomfort and characteristics of the coffee can be detected.
What kind of coffee do you like/dislike to make?
I like to make all kinds of coffee. There are espresso-based coffees like the typical Americano and latte and there is filtered coffee like the French press or the aeropress. I can’t say that I don’t like making certain types of coffee, but I sometimes cringe when customers want an unusual order that takes the emphasis out of the coffee. For example a great one shot milk base and soy milk will completely overshadow the flavor of the coffee. But at the end of the day, coffee is subjective and we can’t tell customers what they like or don’t like, we can only give advice and hopefully guide them.
What is the coffee that takes the longest to make?
I would say that the filter methods we use on our coffee are the most time consuming. The French press takes about 5 minutes to complete. Where the espresso based takes about 2 minutes.
What can you tell me about the Coffee Culture?
Coffee Culture. Where do I start? Well, right now in the coffee industry (worldwide) we are experiencing what we call “Third Wave”. The “first wave” would be defined as the way our parents might have had their coffee. Instant coffee or a dark roasted Italian blend in the home filter machine. There was no real coffee or coffee culture. Then, with the advent of Starbucks and other commercial coffee chains, the “second wave” of coffee people evolved. People became more aware of what they were drinking and the trend for espresso-based beverages to go, such as lattes and cappuccinos, began.
Right now we are experiencing the “Third Wave” where people in the cafe have become more conscious of the quality of the coffee they buy. Some companies go as far as establishing direct trade with farmers to help improve farming methods, export, etc.
The green coffee beans are precisely roasted and great care is taken when preparing both espresso and filter based drinks. Along with this, consumers are also aware of the quality of coffee in coffee shops. Consumers know what they want when they buy coffee, more than ever before. And they are also much more educated. Because of this, you will find more cafes open and more consumers visiting cafes, hence a growing coffee culture. Bigger than before.
Tell me about the contests you’ve won and what’s in store for you.
Most recently, I won the South African National Aeropress title. The aeropress is basically a filter device that is used to make coffee. And I won the national competition, so I’ll be competing in the Aeropress world championships in Dublin, Ireland in June. I also placed second in the Western Cape Barista competition and eighth place in the National Barista competition. In the future I would like to participate in more contests with the goal of winning and competing in the World Barista Contest.
Your dream?
My dream is to put Africa on the coffee map. As a continent, we produce some of the best-tasting coffee in the world but, except in South Africa, we don’t necessarily serve it up properly. Most of the high-quality coffee produced in Africa is exported, with lower-quality commercial coffees remaining. I would like to change this. Coffee was founded in Africa, so I feel we have a responsibility to serve the best tasting African coffees in our coffee shops.