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08/21/2006
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International experts and judges will choose the best green coffee presented at Hostelco
During the course of Hostelco, the International Restaurant, Hotel and Community Equipment Exhibition, which will be held from 21st to 25th October at the Montjuďc trade fair centre of the Fira de Barcelona, a jury of experts will hold a tasting session –lead by an authority from the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, SCAE– to choose the best green coffee presented at the event.
All the green coffees present in the Coffee Area will participate, including those displayed at the Forum Cultural stand, such as coffees from Brazil, Costa Rica, the Terravid Cooperative from the town of El Socorro (Colombia) and from Agaete (Grand Canary Island).
The coffee, fruit of the Coffea species tree, may be of the Arabica or Robusta type, harvested, polished and hulled, with all its caffeine and ready for roasting. It is known as raw or “gold” coffee.
The coffees competing at Hostelco will be Arabica type beans, which may be washed, unwashed or hulled and will be “lightly roasted and large grind”, typical of Brazilian cupping sessions. This type of session consists of tasting various cups of coffee brewed with hot water. The experts will assess the aroma, texture, fragrance and taste of the coffees to choose the finest.
According to the experts, coffee is judged from four different perspectives:
Visual Appearance
Visual appearance refers primarily to the colour of the coffee bean. This may range from light brown to nearly black, depending on the degree of caramelization of the sugars contained in the beans during roasting; the longer the roasting, the darker the bean. The colour may be clean, clear, shiny/luminous or matt and dull.
Smell. Aromas
The nasal passages capture the fragrance emanating from the brew, and aroma is a key feature in its taste. Experts can actually distinguish 700 different aromas.
The olfactory characteristics of coffee are classified in various different ways:
By fragrance. Coffees may have the aroma of flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs depending on the variety of the plant, the soil in which it is grown, the method of cultivation and processing.
The fragrances that give rise to the aroma. These are generally created during the roasting process, when the raw beans are totally transformed, and may give rise to over 700 aromatic components. Coffee aromas may be classified as nutty, caramelly, chocolaty, syrupy or wheaty.
The compounds arising from distillation. These are perceived in the aftertaste, the sensation that remains in the mouth after tasting the brew, and may be classified by terpenoids (turpentine, chicory, oregano...), spices (nutmeg, pepper...) and earthy (smoke, tar, tobacco...).
Taste. Flavours
Flavour is an overall sensation, the sum of four basic factors: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. To a lesser or greater degree, these four factors may be found in all coffees.
The sensation produced by the flavour of coffee is a combination of the above factors, which the experts have subdivided into six primary flavours: acid (e.g. Kenya AA, Colombians), sweet (e.g. Papua A, Hawaii Kona), winey (for example, unwashed Arabicas), smooth (e.g. washed Central American coffees grown at low altitudes), sharp (e.g. Robustas), bitter (for example, Brazil Minas).
Tactile Aspects. Body
Body is a vital feature in evaluating a cup of coffee, and should not be confused with the robustness of the flavour. Body is a physical sensation caused by the density of the brew and by the elements in suspension, primarily lipids and oils. A coffee is classified as dense, oily, smooth, light or watery according to its greater or lesser content of suspended lipids.
Coffee Roasting
Roasting is a crucial stage in the coffee production chain. Certain experts believe that a good roast has more influence on the quality of a cup of coffee than the excellence of the blend chosen to make it. The process for roasting raw coffee consists of subjecting the beans to very high temperatures for a short time, during which they lose weight (from 15/20%); gain volume (between 70 and 120% or more); their yellowish green colour turns brown –darker or lighter depending on the degree of the roast–, and their chemical composition undergoes a significant transformation in both quantity and quality due to the high temperatures.
Finals of the 1st National Baristas Competition
On 22nd and 23rd October, Hostelco will host the semi-finals and finals of the 1st National Barista Competition, organised with the collaboration of the Forum Cultural del Café and accredited by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, SCAE. The winner chosen by the judges of the World Barista Championship, the WBC, will go on to participate in the World Championship slated to be held in Japan in 2007.
The competing baristas will have 15 minutes to prepare their equipment (coffee-maker and grinder) and 15 additional minutes to prepare four espressos, four specially decorated cappuccinos and four beverages that combine coffee with other, non-alcoholic ingredients. At the same time, the baristas will provide the relevant explanations about the origin, characteristics and aromatic properties of the coffee they are making and, in the case of the special beverages, they will indicate to the judges whether these are cold, hot or warm.
Their performance and knowledge will be assessed by four sensory judges, two technical judges, a presiding judge and the competition host. This year’s host will be internationally renowned Mexican judge José Arreola, who acted as host at the last Work Championships in Berne.
Profile of the baristas competing in the event
Baristas are generally young people, from 25 to 35, owners or managers of a business –usually a bar or cafeteria– whose goal is to offer the finest quality products and services to their clients. They know that a satisfied customer is not only a loyal customer, but also the best opinion maker.
Although the majority are self-taught, the newest join the profession after studying at catering schools.
Competing in these finals will be the winners of various competitions held previously in different cities in Spain, including A Coruña, Lleida, Madrid and Barcelona.
The Forum Cultural del Café, co-organiser of the Competition and the Coffee Area, provides professionals in the sector with access to the international rules of these competitions and, if they so desire, counsels them and offers access to its headquarters, where it organises training and practise sessions to learn about and adapt to these rules.
Other Activities
The Hostelco Coffee Area will also host coffee tasting seminars, as well as master lectures given by some of the most prestigious figures in the international coffee world, such as the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization, I.C.O., Dr. Néstor Osorio; the Educational Director of the London Barista School and member of the SCAE, John Williamssen, and the Executive Director of C. Dorman Limited and author of the book Kenya’s Black Gold on African coffee, Jeremy Block.
Exhibition Data
Now in its 25th year, Hostelco, the International Restaurant, Hotel and Community Equipment Exhibition, –organised by the Fira de Barcelona– is now the leading event in Spain and the number two benchmark in Europe in the hotel, catering and community sector. At its upcoming edition, the exhibition will once again occupy the entire Montjuïc venue (over 60,000 m2), featuring the participation of more than 2,000 leading companies from the following sectors: Hotel and Restaurant Equipment and Machinery; Cookware and tableware; Management, control, computer and security systems; Textiles and uniforms; Furniture and decoration; Food and drinks for the hotel, restaurant and community sector / COFFEE AREA; EXPOLIMP (equipment and products for laundry, dry cleaning, hygiene and general cleaning); VENDING (automatic distribution); Service companies.
Hostelco plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary by offering a series of parallel activities, a highlight of which will be the Forum of Stars, where internationally renowned chefs will teach children about the basics of healthy eating through practical, hands-on workshops. In addition, at Gastrovision, attendees will have the opportunity to see sophisticated dishes prepared on-site by teams from restaurants in the Spanish Paradores network.
The exhibition will also host Giropizza, an event organised in collaboration with Pizza e Pasta Italiana magazine and the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli. Giropizza will bring together prominent figures from the world of pizza, including teachers, world champions in various specialities and experts in the production of fresh pasta, who will offer a wide range of demonstrations and exhibitions to showcase their talents. At the end of the event, the Giropizza participants will compete for the best House Pizza prize.
Finally, with a view to commemorating the 25 years of this trade fair and celebrating the beginning of its next twenty-five years, Hostelco will host an exhibition entitled “Hostelco: 25 Years Looking to the Future”. Using a variety of media, the exhibition will link the evolution of the show to the parallel growth seen in the sectors it represents and their future projection.
Hostelco is organised by the Fira de Barcelona, the leading industrial and professional trade fair organiser in Spain and one of the top four leaders in Europe in number of events, and FELAC, the Federación Española de Asociaciones de Fabricantes de Maquinaria para Hostelería, Colectividades e Industrias Afines (Spanish Federation of Manufacturers of Equipment for Hotel and Restaurants, Communities and Similar Industries).
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(Source: Fira Barcelona)
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