If you've recently discovered the appeal of specialty coffee, the word barista has probably crossed your mind. You've seen people in cafes who prepare you delicious coffee, you know what a barista is, but you may be wondering: How hard can it be? I can too, how much of what's in the cup depends on this person? That's why we decided to tell you about the mysterious person named Barista.
Barista is an Italian word, but in Italy, barista is a bartender, which means any person who serves any type of drink in a bar. In the rest of the world, especially in countries where specialty coffee is emerging and becoming popular, it's the barista who makes that specialty coffee for you. Since #espresso is a typical Italian coffee and is associated with a quality coffee, and also because in Italy the bartender serves not only alcoholic beverages but also coffee, the term #barista has been borrowed by everyone to denote the expert in coffee brewing.
What Does a Barista Do?
Saying his job is to serve you coffee is like saying the chef is serving you food.
A barista should know how automatic espresso machines work, but also familiar ones like the French Press, the pour or drip coffee method. You also need to know how to get various types of espresso: #cortado, flat white or #cappuccino. He needs to know how to create a thicker, smaller milk froth. They need to know the main types of coffee beans, as well as know and advise on the origin and flavor profile of each type of coffee they sell.
Even if the bartender is not the person who roasts the coffee, he should know very well the beans roasted in the #coffee roaster, the roasting process, what the roasting profile is, where the coffee comes from and even how it is harvested. He is responsible for taking care of the coffee beans after they are roasted, as a result, if he does not know how to handle them according to the characteristics of each, the final product can significantly change its taste.
A barista knows how to prepare any espresso-based drink, but also knows the secrets of the "art of creating foam", commonly referred to as the art of latte. Latte art refers to a barista's drawings by pouring milk foam into your coffee. This highlight not only demonstrates this person's artistic abilities, but is often a point of conversation and intimacy with the cafe's customers. A barista is someone who knows all the coffee recipes sold in the workplace and can even change some of the recipes, and has the freedom to experiment and play with the ingredients.
One of the most important things that such a person should know is how the coffee machine in the cafe works. In very few cases this can be an easy task. Specialty coffee cafes often have semi-automatic machines, that is, they can fulfill orders according to the parameters entered by the barista. The way the coffee is grinded greatly affects the type of coffee in the customer's cup, the brewing time, so it is very important to know the machine you are working with in detail.
A barista's day starts early in the morning because she has to open the shop and prepare the tools.
But it is the passion for coffee that unites all these people who have made coffee their profession. Because this job definitely requires a lot of dedication as well as the necessary training. Standing constantly and making hundreds of coffees a day is very tiring and requires a lot of attention and patience. A coffee lover will never be upset when customers, who are also passionate about this magic fruit, ask too many questions about what they drink or want to drink. They will patiently explain to any novice what they can expect from a coffee or fruit, and they will do so gladly and with a smile on their face.
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