About Latte Art, and more!
I was going to say something about this problem, but soon I found a post in some forums about it. The guy who made that post remain in that forum on in Feb of 2007, and dispeared totally after that.
It was clearly stated that "we would concentrated in the quality of the drinks, but not the paintings", or similar. It was not due to the creater of the forums, but the participants to get "those" people having different opinions out of that forum, and shut up to talk about their own opinion about coffee and this duty, or passion or work.
I had recognized that I am not alone, but those had been kicked out of the sights and hearing.
In Chinese language, we used to say that "to better show on the perfect bases", that means that one can make a some very good things in a better look or something. If the shots are perfect, one can make it in a better look. But, the fact is normally not this as we all know around the world. We are still in a very low developing level of understanding espresso and its brewing skills, as well as its quality standards. Not even a single language to talk about different coffee drinks.
But, never try to define the tastes, it simply not possible.
I do not do the latte art almost, but train people how to prepare for it and how to practise for it, if necessary and they would. I spent a lot of time to practise of brewing espresso and find problems and solve the problems. I would not practise for latte art, and I do believe it takes a lot of time from practising brewing espresso.
I do not do latte art, not even brewing espresso for myself to enjoy. Although I know how to do it, I do not fix a set of machines, grinders, blends and working status for the machines, so that I am not experienced to make it perfect very soon. From our trainees, I can get a better one to enjoy.
Suppose I spent a lot of time to practise the latte art, I am sure I won't have enough time to think about espresso and its brewing.
For example, I used as firstly a computer in 1986 and bought my first notebook computer in 1992, and set up a forum about using of application softwares in 1997-98, which is still there and very active without my attention from many years ago, but I never be enrolled into software programming, neither coding.
Many people can learn to make latte art perfectly, but not many people can really understand espresso, and set up a new and well organized theory about coffee. So, that is what I like to do.
Recently, I had new trainee, who had see a lot of message about those rules and undestanding of brewing espresso from websites, forums, and books (all books in Chinese he can find), and so on. After my course of our coffee theory, he understood why we are right and why others' are wrong. How can I convince him? I am not a magic teller, but only tell the trueth, and the reason, and practise until to make a shot.
Tamping force? Theoretically, he understood, and practically he experienced it. So, for him, there is no way to refuse to believe us. We did not hide your opinions aside, but telling them all directly. They can even try different ways until they find the trueth.
The "Golden Rules" are printed on a large board and attached on the wall in our practicing room. For each item, we have our own explanation and our trainees can see it every time when they are practising.
What do we really expect?
It was clearly stated that "we would concentrated in the quality of the drinks, but not the paintings", or similar. It was not due to the creater of the forums, but the participants to get "those" people having different opinions out of that forum, and shut up to talk about their own opinion about coffee and this duty, or passion or work.
I had recognized that I am not alone, but those had been kicked out of the sights and hearing.
In Chinese language, we used to say that "to better show on the perfect bases", that means that one can make a some very good things in a better look or something. If the shots are perfect, one can make it in a better look. But, the fact is normally not this as we all know around the world. We are still in a very low developing level of understanding espresso and its brewing skills, as well as its quality standards. Not even a single language to talk about different coffee drinks.
But, never try to define the tastes, it simply not possible.
I do not do the latte art almost, but train people how to prepare for it and how to practise for it, if necessary and they would. I spent a lot of time to practise of brewing espresso and find problems and solve the problems. I would not practise for latte art, and I do believe it takes a lot of time from practising brewing espresso.
I do not do latte art, not even brewing espresso for myself to enjoy. Although I know how to do it, I do not fix a set of machines, grinders, blends and working status for the machines, so that I am not experienced to make it perfect very soon. From our trainees, I can get a better one to enjoy.
Suppose I spent a lot of time to practise the latte art, I am sure I won't have enough time to think about espresso and its brewing.
For example, I used as firstly a computer in 1986 and bought my first notebook computer in 1992, and set up a forum about using of application softwares in 1997-98, which is still there and very active without my attention from many years ago, but I never be enrolled into software programming, neither coding.
Many people can learn to make latte art perfectly, but not many people can really understand espresso, and set up a new and well organized theory about coffee. So, that is what I like to do.
Recently, I had new trainee, who had see a lot of message about those rules and undestanding of brewing espresso from websites, forums, and books (all books in Chinese he can find), and so on. After my course of our coffee theory, he understood why we are right and why others' are wrong. How can I convince him? I am not a magic teller, but only tell the trueth, and the reason, and practise until to make a shot.
Tamping force? Theoretically, he understood, and practically he experienced it. So, for him, there is no way to refuse to believe us. We did not hide your opinions aside, but telling them all directly. They can even try different ways until they find the trueth.
The "Golden Rules" are printed on a large board and attached on the wall in our practicing room. For each item, we have our own explanation and our trainees can see it every time when they are practising.
What do we really expect?
Comment
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Comment by Peter Tam on May 30, 2008 at 11:20am
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Let's consider a very simple example. Suppose I had a dish of fried rice, and I said it is a little too salty. How do you understand it? Do you know how much it is salty, or is it salty for you? Do we have any standards for how much it is salty?
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Comment by rob on May 30, 2008 at 10:34am
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"But, never try to define the tastes, it simply not possible."
I humbly disagree. It is possible to associate some flavor characteristics in relation to espresso.
A good place to start perhaps would be right here for some ideas perhaps:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/tastewheel1.jpg
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Alex,
They are not our employees, and free to choose what they trust. Only on their understanding. I know my poor English cannot explain it well, but say what I think. Or, I doubt if you read my words or not (we never hide your opinion aside and put it in a big form on the wall).
Those many labs or others, let them help you to improve your coffee market and let people enjoy good shots more easily in your cafes. Do you really expect them to get it? I do doubt.
It seems that you said is never what I believed. So, you do not really know what we are doing and what we believed. We can make our shots in our way, but not yours, neither you supposed.
Talking about tamping, hehehe, I told them but none of them even would try it. Yes, few did very ocassionally, but the results were, NO WORKS.
Jason,
The theory is around, and including all I said here. If you expect to get it in a few words, that is impossible for its complex.
If they are improving too slowly, we shall concentrated to improve the Chinese market, and the result will be that the Chinese coffee retail market will be much better than others in the near future. There are more and more cafes opened in China by our trainees and influencing the market.
Now, it is still very small, but can be cumulated to the big one, someday.
When I am looking as they are enjoying their coffee, not only for their own made, you can understand what I feel.
Today, a trainee told me that, before he came for our training, he tried coffee in *$s, and would believe that "coffee may be not good for him only", but now he likes it very much.
OK, forget about espresso for a while and try to make a good coffee, drip, pressed, vac'ed, whatever. Let me see you do not forget it. Surely not in *$s, maybe some others in Guangzhou and Shenzhen? If I can find, let me know, please.
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Comment by Jason Haeger on May 29, 2008 at 10:28pm
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It's always about the coffee in the end.
Indeed.
Peter, this post tells us nothing. It looks like just another post in which you pat yourself on the back... again.
How can we argue for or against your case if you never present the contents of your theory?
I don't think it's possible to have a "practical and well organized" theory of espresso, because coffee is too complex for that, and the crops change on a yearly or semi-annual basis.
I don't believe that taste is the only morality, nor do I believe that there is only one right way to do things.
I wish we were in closer proximity. I would say to you, "Peter, I challenge you to an espresso throw-down!"
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Comment by Alex Negranza on May 29, 2008 at 9:27pm
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"After my course of our coffee theory, he understood why we are right and why others' are wrong. How can I convince him? I am not a magic teller, but only tell the trueth, and the reason, and practise until to make a shot."
Peter, I strongly disagree here. There are maaany resources out here in the world on espresso and brewing methods. There are Agrados in Columbia with the FNC and there are Specialty Coffee Labs everywhere, there are industry professinals who are more than willing to help develop espresso brewing methods with specialty coffee and with an open mind also. I believe not forcing your opinion with coffee on employees is crucial to their own personal development, especially if they are interested in becoming an industry professional. There are so many various techniques and most of them clash, but they are all respected. When it comes down to it, I don't care if you are using aluminum shot glasses and tossing your tamp in the air hoping it lands in the basket to tamp for you, and then throwing the portafilter into the machine and extracting your espresso for 14 seconds...if you can make me an amazing shot that way, then more power to you. It's always about the coffee in the end.
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