In 2014, the journalist Nicholas Artusi launched the book “Coffee” (Planeta), in which he made a detailed and captivating “report” on the history of this drink from Ethiopia to the rise of Starbucks. And although it could be thought that she is a great guide to learn about the coffee world and its trends, in eight years things have changed a lot. The content of that first title is still vital, but there are many new terms, trends and concepts that have been added to this world. Although it is one of the oldest drinks in existence, however, coffee continues to “update” year after year, proving that there is always more to investigate (and taste) on your route. As proof, Artusi’s new title suffices, “Coffee Dictionary”, with several entries that in 2014 would not have existed. “When I wrote my first book, specialty coffee was just beginning to be known in Argentina and there was talk of the third wave of coffee. Today there is talk of the fourth and ‘specialty’ coffee is a commodities for all the cafeterias that they inaugurate”, describes the author.
the big winner
the of “specialty” It is undoubtedly one of the most important growths in these years. It refers to a coffee that is in your top quality point according to the characteristics of its origin, and is one that receives a score of more than 80 points out of 100 in tests carried out by the different organizations that evaluate it. Used for the first time in 1974 in an article in the magazine “Tea & Coffee Trade Journal”, it took almost half a century for the term to anchor in our country. But once it did, the expansion was colossal. Although there are no specific data, it is estimated that between 300 and 350 specialty coffee shops have opened in recent years. And although Palermo brings together the largest amount per square meter (there are blocks that have up to three together), the phenomenon extends to the entire city of Buenos Aires and also to other cosmopolitan cities in the country, such as Rosario or Mar del Plata.
As in any trend, it is likely that at some point the market will become saturated and a purification path will begin. “Surely there will be a Darwinian process of survival of the fittest,” predicts the journalist. But for now, these cool cafeterias, where the cup arrives with “latte art” and the right styling to upload to Instagram, are above all the place where the centennials, those young people born from 2000 onwards. “They joined the coffee market when they were very young. It is a generation that knew it as a youthful or contemporary consumption, without the prejudice that it was a drink for old people”, says Artusi. The centennials were the ones who migrated their meetings from McDonald’s to Starbucks, and who in the first days of the opening of this company in Alto Palermo were able to wait hours in line to have their first “caramel macchiato” in a disposable cup.
Another point that explains its rapid rise is the idea that coffee is a possible luxury. “Here a very good coffee and a very bad one cost the same, about $220, a dollar. It is very democratic in its access, because for that price you can enjoy an urban, sophisticated and cosmopolitan experience for an hour, an hour and a half, talking, reading or watching your networks”, develops the specialist. Also, unlike their parents, these kids understood that drinking coffee can be pleasurable and pursue an idea of excellence. According to Artusi, while in the past one would enter a bar, make the gesture to ask for coffee and take what was brought, adding enough sugar to cover his taste, today there is a world of flavors available to the customer, of the most varied origins and styles. Something that is very much in tune with these times, “an era of exploration of epicurean experiences”.
And an extra note about specialty coffee: it is drunk warm, because it is the way to better appreciate the aromas and flavors. If it is served as hot as in the most traditional bars in Buenos Aires, there is a risk of burning or flattening the complexity of this infusion. “The coffee is prepared at a maximum temperature of 96 degrees, and then you have to let it cool for a few seconds to drink it. It is estimated that the ideal temperature is 66 degrees”, illustrates the specialist, not in vain recognized as a “coffee sommelier”. That graduation, compared to the traditional palate of Argentines (especially those over 40), is “lukewarm.”
in full navigation
What also changed in recent years was the transfer from the Third Wave of coffee to the Fourth. While the First Wave was characterized by the massive commercialization of the drink, its adoption in the daily diets of the West and the appearance of instant coffee; the Second had to do with the creation of small coffee shops, first in the United States and later in other countries, which took inspiration from Italian preparations and spread the idea of gourmet coffee. The Third, meanwhile, began in the 21st century and is characterized by the revaluation of the grain as a natural raw material, considering coffee as an artisanal product that distances it from the interpretation of merchandise.
And what is the Fourth Wave about then? To put the focus on responsible production: organic farming, care for the planet, sustainability. “Coffee production was quite predatory on the environment. Today there are many companies investing to take care of the coffee ecosystem, because it is believed that with climate change in about 80 years it could begin to be scarce, “says Artusi. Thus, this wave focuses on caring for the fruit and the land to prevent us from running out of coffee in a few decades.
As for consumers, there is a clear path to improve the quality of the coffee that is consumed, not only outside, but also at home. “In 2014, you couldn’t find coffee in supermarkets that wasn’t roasted, the kind that had an artificial addition of sugar. Today those same brands continue to sell roasted coffee, but they have at least one variety of naturally roasted coffee without sugar,” the journalist details. In addition, in recent years, for the first time in history, more espresso-type coffee machines (including capsules) than filter coffee machines have been sold for domestic use. “Now people who have the concern to drink coffee at home have discovered that they can prepare an espresso,” says the specialist, who recommends that lovers of this infusion have more than one coffee maker method, in order to be able to try different styles.
Asked why a thousand-year-old drink continues to grow in public and offer novelties, extremely lively in terms of trends (something that does not happen with others with so much history, such as tea), Artusi rehearses the idea that coffee has to do with intellect and productivity. And so, as ideas and human thinking progress, it stands to reason that coffee will progress along with it. “It is a tonic, cerebral, stimulating drink that is often used to write, study, compose, work. It couldn’t be any other way”, he summarizes.
Image gallery
