Italian coffee is legendary. How legendary? Well, it’s commonly known that the Italian coffee tradition inspired the creation of America’s gargantuan coffee chain, Starbucks. But, despite expansion to China and beyond, Starbucks has recently announced that they’re not coming to Italy. It’s a sign, perhaps, of just how formidable is the long-established coffee culture on the boot-shaped peninsula.
If you’re a coffee lover who prefers your to take your frothy cappuccino or velvety espresso standing up at bar (rather than walking down the street), then Florence’s Espresso Academy might just be a place that you want to spend some time. The academy’s courses range in length from a few hours to two days and teach a variety of skills. You can learn the history of coffee, edify yourself about the fine points of roasting and grinding, discover how to make the perfect espresso on a stove or with a machine, and even become skilled in creating those lovely designs so often seen atop frothy cups of cappuccino.
Because the academy’s classrooms are located inside the Mokaflor roasting plant, you can observe the entire coffee cycle, from the unloading of trucks to roasting and grinding. You can witness new blends and new products being tested and look on as Moakflor’s employees evaluate new packaging and design new espresso machines and new coffee grinders.
What kinds of courses are on offer? There are six in total, the most alluring of them are as follows:
A three-hour Discovery course introduces students to the botany of coffee, its different varieties, and the methods by which it is picked and prepared for consumption. Participants in this course also learn to prepare the perfect stove top espresso and are introduced to the workings of the bar-quality espresso makers.
The “Milk Art” course is four hours in length and provides instruction in the making of cappuccino decorations such as hearts, leaves, and more. Those enrolled also get a crash-course in the making of cappuccino - from choosing the right milk to steaming it perfectly.
A four-hour Tasting course aims to improve your palate. After an introduction to the botany of coffee, participants learn to see, smell, and taste coffee, enhancing their awareness of the differences between such varietals as African Arabic, scented Latin American washed coffees, southeastern Asia Robusta, and Jamaica Blue Mountain.
And for those who like their coffee in the evening as well as in the morning, there’s a four-hour Coffee Cocktail course that introduces mixing concepts, classic coffee cocktails, and those more complicated ones that mix alcohol with milk or cream.
Via delle Torri 55, 50142 Florence
Tel. +39 055 7321718 - Fax +39 055 7321719
e-mail: info@espressoacademy.it
