“I think one of the reasons why coffee is so popular is because consumers are able to choose which flavours they like, which is often the result of the roast profile. “I don’t always understand why specialty roasters and coffee shops are so critical of darker roast profiles – we should celebrate both light and dark roasts,” he says. He tells me that he doesn’t always necessarily agree with the specialty coffee sector’s preference for lighter roast profiles. He is also the 2014 World Barista Champion. Hidenori Izaki is the founder of Qahwa, a coffee consulting agency in Japan. “However, more traditional coffee drinkers sometimes perceive specialty coffee to be too sour or ‘different’ to the coffee they are used to,” he adds.įor the most part, specialty coffee favours light to medium roast profiles – including for espresso. “While the former is usually roasted darker, the latter tends to include lighter roasts which highlight more of the coffee’s innate qualities – such as fruitiness and acidity. “As the specialty coffee sector has grown, there has been a growing disparity between traditional Italian-style espresso and specialty-grade espresso,” he says. He is also the author of Coffee: A Global History. Professor Jonathan Morris is a Research Professor in Modern European History at the University of Hertfordshire. In Italy, the vast majority of people prefer darker roasts with more intense, bold, and bitter flavour profiles, and many espresso bars use arabica-robusta blends, which gives the coffee more body and a notable intensity. “Traditional espresso culture will always remain popular because of its history, as well as consumer preferences.” “, we should acknowledge how Italian coffee culture has influenced espresso consumption,” he says. He is also the 2019 Australian Barista Champion. Matthew Lewin is the Director of Sales at ONA Coffee. Price is such a hotly debated topic that earlier this year, one Italian specialty coffee shop was fined €1,000 ($1,056) for not adequately displaying the price of its €2 decaf espresso.Īs part of traditional Italian coffee culture, most people quickly drink their espresso standing at the bar, rather than sitting down and drinking their beverages over a longer period of time. This makes espresso consistently affordable for the vast majority of people in the country. In turn, the price of a single espresso has remained at around €1 for some time now (albeit with some fluctuation depending on where you are, as prices in the north tend to be higher than in the south). However, these price regulations effectively ended in the 1990s, but the Italian association of espresso bar owners still encourages its members to set a standard price for espresso. Historically, this has meant that local authorities have regulated the price of espresso. Since 1911, the price of a “cup of coffee without service” (effectively an espresso consumed while standing at the bar) has been defined as an “essential” item in Italy. In fact, in early 2022, Italy’s Ministry of Agricultural, Food, and Forestry Policies filed a UNESCO application to preserve espresso’s Italian roots and identity – one of several that the country has submitted over the years. The espresso machine was invented in Italy, so it’s no surprise that traditional espresso culture is largely associated with the country. Looking back at traditional espresso consumption You may also like our article exploring the evolution of manual espresso machines. Read on for more of their insight into the future for espresso. To find out, I spoke with three coffee professionals. However, as an industry, we have to ask ourselves: is espresso culture changing in specialty coffee? And if so, what might it look like? Since the debut of the first patented espresso machine in 1906, traditional European-style espresso culture has long remained popular with coffee drinkers for more than 100 years. Moreover, in the fall edition of its National Coffee Data Trends report, the National Coffee Association states the second most popular specialty coffee beverage in the US is espresso, behind the latte.Īlthough there are many reasons why espresso is so prominent around the world, its quick preparation and unique sensory profile remain two of the most prominent. According to some sources, espresso – after water – is the second most consumed beverage in Italy. It is impossible to deny just how popular espresso is around the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |