General knowledge of Fine Coffee Culture: a visit to the hometown of espresso

Zhong Tianyang

The first time I tasted espresso was an interview in Geneva. When I first got off the plane, it was bright and sunny, but the interview was half an hour later, and everything was on the run. When I finally appeared in the interview room with a tired face, there were still five minutes to go before the interview began. The receptionist suggested a cup of coffee. All I knew was to say, "Yes!" Come on! "there is no need to explain.

But as soon as I regained my breath, the smell was immediately taken away by the aroma of a small cup of coffee. To tell you the truth, I was not in the mood to taste the taste of this cup of espresso, but drank it up like tequila. But it is really like tequila, draw a long line between the mouthpiece, quickly let the excited heat flow straight to the brain, back in the mouth for a long time.

Not long ago, when I arrived in Trieste, Italy, the birthplace of espresso, I didn't know what "espresso" means "cook it for you right away" in Italian. So espresso is the essence of coffee, must be boiled in order to make people realize its hot and strong, and its extended meaning is "for a special purpose, and the need for fast service", which also implies why every cup of espresso must be finished in a short time.

A calculating coffee machine

At the beginning of the last century, people came up with a way to pressurize the water in order to brew the coffee that guests need in a very short time. Francesco Illy, founder of Trieste-based illy Coffee, invented the first fully automatic espresso coffee machine, Illetta, in 1935, replacing the steam method with compressed air, an innovation that gradually changed the way the world enjoys coffee. Over the past century, three of the eight historic breakthroughs in the coffee industry have come from illy, including coffee machines, pressurized storage technology and coffee bags.

This strong coffee culture has a deep impact on Trieste. When you enter Trieste, you will strongly feel the rich coffee amorous feelings of this city. There are cafes all over the streets, open-air cafes everywhere, and Italians sitting under parasols from early morning to late at night. It is not difficult to find some historic cafes here, some of which have been open since the 19th century.

To make an espresso, either rely on skill, or it will be a great test of kung fu. Like Kungfu Tea, in addition to the nature of tea, there is also a sense of fighting, high-end fighting equipment, sophisticated fighting techniques, but also the ability to distinguish guests. The most humble espresso requires only a sturdy mocha pot. The water for making coffee is heated to the boiling point in a sealed pot, and the steam in the pot increases the pressure, using the steam to directly boil the coffee powder on the top. With the essence of steamed coffee, steam gathers on the top and becomes espresso. However, this method is due to the use of steam above the boiling point for a long time, improper heat will lead to "over-extraction", the bitterness and astringency will be extracted together, making the espresso taste scorched.

As a result, good espresso is difficult to make at home, and the more professional the better, the better the coffee machine to cook. Whether the pressure of the machine is big enough, the water circulation system is smooth enough, the handle or even the powder press is smooth enough, will affect the appearance of a cup of espresso.

I experienced the calculating coffee machine technology during a visit to the illy coffee factory. At first, 15 coffee beans are immediately ground into about 7 grams of coffee powder, all of which are poured into the filter spoon of the pressure bar. Then buckle the pressure bar at the outlet. Press the button and wait for the fine and thick coffee juice to ooze from the outlet. In order to prevent excessive extraction, the coffee cup must be removed after 25 seconds. The barista told me that although the process was simple, many of the details of the production were improved: the water temperature was 90 degrees Celsius, and a hand pressure bar was used to generate nine atmospheric pressures, resulting in a layer of amber grease exactly 3mm thick on the espresso cup noodles.

Beyond the sense of taste

You must drink this cup of condensed juice while it is hot. Once you miss the time, the amber grease on the surface of the coffee will slowly disappear and become small spots. At the same time, the smooth taste of Espresso will gradually become sour and bitter with the loss of temperature. A good espresso is like a good base wine, which can make any kind of coffee, such as the most popular cappuccino and the most common latte are mixed with espresso. Of course, it can also be so clean and pure plain face to the sky, accompanied by that bitter taste into the throat is already very wonderful. Pure drink like this single espresso is the basic espresso, the quantity is quite small, is one of the most popular coffee in Europe. If you only ask for coffee when you order in a cafe or restaurant, the waiter will surely serve such a cup directly.

For the first time, you can drink a glass of fresh lemonade, because the espresso is very strong, it is best to drink some water before drinking, clear the taste, at least will not be thirsty. People with a sensitive taste can order a piece of fruit mousse cake, because the coffee is very bitter, so you can neutralize the taste in the sweetness of the cake.

Some of the fellow travelers asked coffee experts what is so good about such a bitter and strong espresso, and the answer was: "learning to appreciate the bitterness of coffee is a compulsory course to enjoy coffee culture." The 'bitterness' of espresso is one of the best-it stays in the mouth for a long time, fragrant and enjoyable. "

But when I just learned to taste the mellow bitterness of espresso, coffee experts told me that compared with the aroma of coffee, the sense of taste is actually much weaker. In terms of information, if there are 70 units of smell, there are only 15 units of taste. "because the senses in the mouth must be combined with the aroma of coffee to provide a wealth of information." Coffee experts say, for example, that if you hold your nose while tasting coffee, the strong flavor of coffee will be greatly reduced-the same as when you were a child.

In addition, to enjoy a cup of espresso, you should also use your eyes to see and appreciate the color changes of the cup and coffee; use your ears to listen to the sound of coffee juice pouring out of the coffee juice. the sound of the bursting of thin foam and the crisp collision of spoons and cups and plates; use the skin of your hands and the skin of your face to feel the heat of the cup and saucer, and the bursts of heat that comes with water vapor. In fact, the amount of information perceived has long gone beyond the simple sense of taste.

In the morning in Italy, the most common street scene is two or three people walking into a cafe, asking for a cup of espresso, then using the waiting time to gossip with the people around them, and when the coffee comes, they drink it in two or three mouthfuls and start the day. The man holds a small cup of espresso in the palm of his hand and drinks it up in two or three mouthfuls, while the woman should sprinkle some sugar and milk to make it easy. A cup of drink makes people feel that it is not only coffee or time that is concentrated, but also short-lived and beautiful memories in daily life.