What is the significance of barista training and textual research? Is there really a so-called "barista certificate"?

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Today I would like to share with you some of my simple views on the textual research of baristas.

Textual research doesn't prove how good you are.

At present, the SCAE exam is divided into three levels: "foundation", "intermediate" and "Professional". The three levels all have different requirements for knowledge mastery points, of course, the difficulty is increasing. Generally speaking, junior and intermediate exams are arranged together, while advanced students can not sign up until they have obtained an intermediate certificate. And the content of the assessment does not necessarily show how good you are.

For example, on the Intermediate course of Barista Skill, the teacher requires everyone to be able to master the basic flower drawing and to be able to dispense dense and qualified milk bubbles. For baristas with long bar experience, this is not a very difficult task and can even produce very complex patterns, while for some new baristas or people who don't have much contact with espresso, it's a challenge. But as long as they all make qualified foam and patterns, they will be considered to have passed the exam-of course, this is only part of the exam. But they all get the same certificate, so can they be just as good at making coffee? This is a basic competency test, even if the WBC champion takes this course with you today, then you will also get the same certificate to prove that you have passed the corresponding level of exam. If you want to prove how good you are at making coffee, the best way should be a competition, not a certification exam.

Then why the textual research?

Just like all kinds of exams from childhood to big, textual research only tells me my mastery of knowledge or skills. A standardized examination system allows baristas to understand their abilities, what are their shortcomings and where they are lacking. For example, if we pass the Barista Skill exam, we should focus on the arrangement of the bar and the speed of production. The purpose of the exam is to let baristas find out their shortcomings and what they should pay attention to in their future work.

What is the significance of textual research?

As more and more people know about coffee, cafes have become an indispensable building in the city. When we often go to restaurants, we will find that the quality of the products of the cafe is mixed. In some cafes, the coffee is delicious, the barista is very serious, the bar is clean and tidy, and the coffee production in some cafes is often unstable. The barista is very casual when making coffee, and the bar is disorganized or even dirty. And put a cold attitude. Is that what we want to see? Definitely not.

Textual research is a benchmark, a norm or an industry criterion. What are we going to do? we can't do it. Or the Q-grade exam, the sense is a very subjective item, the same cup of coffee we will have different feelings and understanding, if it is a small range of differences, it is acceptable. But if there is a huge gap, we have to carry out flavor correction, and the people who carry out the correction are generally those who pass the Q test or pass the sensory test. At this time, the normative function represented by the certificate appears.

The learning process of the course allows us to grow.

My friend once said, "Fine coffee should be something that is willing to share rather than work behind closed doors." Only by getting in touch with more people can we better share the concept of boutique coffee, and different voices can lead to more thinking and progress. Coffee has experienced a long time from "the Legend of the Shepherd" to "the third Coffee Wave", but it has been only a hundred years since the "first Coffee Wave". We have been thinking, communicating and moving forward in the continuous pursuit of good coffee. there is no lack of the sharing spirit of seniors, teachers and champions. Harvesting the right theory can make us more determined on the road of fine coffee.

So to me, the value of textual research lies not in the document itself, but in the more meaningful and valuable things it brings to me, the affirmation of my career, and the reason why I love this industry more and more. (author: Lin Heng)