Week 11 [09.01-15.01]
Coffee is Love
Espresso - this 40 ml portion of a saturated beverage with a light-brown foam is so common that it seems to be the dominant form of existence of coffee. You could find it in the menu of most restaurants, coffee shops and in a chain of street machines. Some fans are preparing coffee with home equipment.
Espresso became popular outside Italy just after World War II, however, the first espresso machine of a modern type came to life a little over a century ago. In 1901, the Milanese engineer Luigi Bezzera has patented the "advanced device for making and immediate delivery of coffee drinks." The method and the coffee itself got the name because of the principle of operation of the Bezzera's device. Water with steam percolates under the pressure through milled and compacted grains, extracting the caffeine and flavors to the cup. For a hundred years the appearance of coffee machine has changed a bit, but, in fact, the drink is brewed in the same way.
Taste depends partly of the type of coffee and the country of its origin, but there are special kinds of coffee that best suit espresso. Currently, the companies combine the main varieties of coffee (Arabica and Robusta) to achieve a certain flavor characteristics of the final beverage. Also, the taste and flavor of the final product is influenced by such factors as berry picking, transport and storage of grains, as well as by roasting and grinding the coffee.
But Arabica or Robusta?
We have all heard those words, but not everyone knows the difference. This 2 types of coffee that are grown in the world. Other species are rare or not suitable for preparing a beverage.
Arabica. Taste, flavor, and taste again. And the flavor. Yes, Arabica makes the taste in your cup. This variety is significantly more expensive than Robusta because of the complexity in growing. But Arabica gives us that flavor, which we love so much coffee for.
Robusta. Caffeine and strength. The caffeine content in Robusta is 2-3 times higher than in Arabica. Net Robusta has a bright flavor, the drink turns out strong and bitter. The low cost is due to ease of cultivation. Robusta is not afraid of pests and is resistant to bad weather. It requires less care.
In what proportions should you mix? Classic Italian blend is made of 20% Robusta and 80% Arabica. All blends, which contain more robusta - is only an attempt to save money. 20% of Robusta gives the necessary strength, foam, if prepared in an espresso machine.
Skilled barista and espresso machine settings also affect the taste. According to the Italian canons one cup of espresso is brewed with five to ten grams of the grain - so it came since the Bezzera days - and always under the pressure of 15 bar.
The taste of coffee is so different that tasters use special scales with all possible options, both pleasant and not so. It is believed that a good drink should be balanced with sourness and bitterness, but it should not be too sour.
How to drink espresso
Espresso is served with a glass of clean water, but not in an order to kill the bitterness of strong coffee, as many people think. Water is essential to clean the taste buds in the mouth - so it's easier to feel and enjoy the taste of a drink. In addition, the coffee takes fluid from the body, so a glass of water will correct the balance. Before you drink, the espresso should be steered by a vertical spoon two or three times to evenly distribute throughout the volume of components with different physical properties.
With the first sip you estimate the temperature and the density of the coffee: if it is watery, or thick or shielding. Thus it is necessary to do a little breath at the throat. The second sip is needed to understand the range of taste and aroma. The espresso blend is a mix of sour, bitter and sweet tastes which should flow smoothly and complement each other. One or more taste may predominate, but not overlap the others. The aroma of the beverage may be nutty, caramel, chocolate or fruity. In general, a sign of good espresso - are the taste and the aroma, that you could describe.
Good coffee requires a thoughtful approach and special skills. However, everyone could try to make a decent drink for himself. In this tricky business it's important to avoid the common mistakes in choosing the proper product. The grain has the most intense taste shortly after frying - it is not necessary to keep them longer than a month and to buy for future use. You should not go to the store, where the product is certainly kept for a long time. It would be better to find a special boutique or verified coffee shop, where the quality of grains is under control. The experts know exactly how to store the coffee in a right way to keep its features. In addition, you can discuss your preferences with a professional in such stores. Also, between the ground coffee and coffee beans you should always choose the grain - for the same reasons of the preservation of taste properties. If the quality of the product is guaranteed, then everything will depend on your skill.
Do you like coffee? Which one is your favorite? What places do you visit in Warsaw to grab one?
Sources:
http://www.bezzera.it/index.php?lang=it
http://2coffeemaniacs.ru/arabika-ili-robusta
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espress
Comments
To be honest, in my case there are two reasons why I love it so much:
1. I don't like (maybe even hate) tea. It doesn't taste good to me. My friends love tea, my girlfriend drinks it very often, but for me... bleeeeh :p Apart from the taste, after drinking tea I have always a stomach ache.
2. Coffee just taste very, very good to me. I cannot explain why. I like different types of coffee and it is always delicious (apart from cases when somebody can't prepare it, but I'm not demanding ;) ).
I don't have favourite type of coffee. It depends on a day. I drink espresso, latte, cappucino, americano, moccha and even green chai latte (made by Green Caffee Nero).
My last discovery is red chai latte. For me, it's just taste of Christmas. It consists of red espresso, milk, honey, cinnamon and... cloves. Delicious...
As I said, I drink coffee in Green Caffe Nero. It's my favourite place to drink coffee out. I like Starbucks too. These two cafes have a climate (in contrast to Costa). But usually I drink coffee at home or prepare it to my thermal mug and take it out - just everywhere.
So if you tried chai latte and enjoyed it, maybe you should try green coffee? This beverage does not taste like coffee at all, it's something more similar to tea, I would say. Or maybe you've already tried it?
Having read you comment I set my heart on red chai latte, definately I have to try it!
As for the expresso I hate the sour and bitter taste of it, however, I love all kinds of latte, cappucino and moccha. The more extraordinary additives, the better so that's why I adore such places like Green Caffee Nero - their beverages are out of this world!
My favourite type is espresso. It doesn't contain any unnecessary ingredients like milk or sugar.
I avoid visiting cafes and cofee shops. I usually drink coffee at home while eating breakfast.
I remember, that after my interview I felt awful, because I was sure that is was really bad and I won't get the job, so at the train station I bought coffee. I looked as a misfortune and barista made me hearts out of cinamone on the foam. That was really sweet and that day I decided that I like Costa :)
P.S. I got the job ;)
You could read more here:
http://coffee-affair.co.uk/alternative-coffee-brewing-methods/
In Warsaw there are a few cafes serving coffee brewed using alternative methods and the coffee there isn't more expensive than in the chain cafes. Of course we could try it in home but it requires a lot of patience if we want to make a good coffee.
I haven't tried, but after reading about it in the Net and your recommendation I will!
I don't know how it works with tea. I just don't like it. Although.. there were some days during winter 2015 that I was going to home and thought "hmmm... I have to drink cup of tea" ;) Quite strange :p
Yeah, because of the bitter taste of espresso, it's not suitable each day, in my case :) so fully understand you ;)
As per the favorite type of coffee, I think that the more simple the better – I go for a classic espresso or black coffee, with no milk or sugar added.
My favourite coffe is of course in Italy, and didnt used to drink espresso and they taught me and now i can say grazie for that - i didnt know how much i was loosing.
In Warsaw I can recommend 'Ministry of Coffee' located on Marszałkowska street, one of my favourite coffes is also 'Brednia' in Łódź obviously on Piotrkowska street.
Secondly, when I drink it, it can be just black coffee or mocca.
Last but not least fact about my preferences regarding coffee...
I don't go to grab a cup of coffee in Warsaw because to me it is a waste of time :-) I prefer to go out to a restaurant to eat and drink some wine instead. I just do not find drinking coffee at coffee shops specifically interesting and typical to me.