MILAN, Italy – The very word espresso conjures up visions of Italian bars and the jealously-guarded methods used by the coffee roasters that supply them. But how do you actually define what makes a great Italian espresso?
The establishment of a shared set of objective, sense-oriented parameters of quality espresso and their inclusion in a charter to be presented at HostMilano 2017 is the task that SCAE Italia, the Italian branch of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe, has set itself. The aims are twofold:
- to promote a culture of quality over the entire production process
- to enable the end consumers to recognise and appreciate a truly high-quality espresso.
An initial step in this direction was taken by the meeting on 27 October at the Fieramilano Congress Centre, with the support of HostMilano and Fiera Milano, where SCAE Italia involved other category associations and experts.
These included CIC (the Italian Coffee Committee), CSC (the Association of Special Certified Coffees) and UCIMAC (the Association of Builders of Italian Espresso Coffee Machines and Bar Equipment).
“This day’s activities were an important starting point,” said Dario Ciarlantini, National Coordinator for SCAE Italia, “because they helped us to understand that together we can understand what is happening.
The next meetings have already been planned and we have identified aims and methods.
We intend to involve other parts of the production chain after this initial feasibility stage.
Months of hard work leading up to Host2017 lie ahead, but we are confident that we can take things to the next level and improve perceptions among end consumers, who are the ultimate target when it comes to raising the quality bar.”
The next stage will be about identifying other figures to further enhance the debate with the expert contribution of tasters, roasters, technical experts, baristas and other players in the “world of espresso”, who will bring their scientific expertise, skills and experience to the table.
All of this will culminate in the event that is Host2017, being held at Fieramilano from 20 to 24 October 2017, when the results of all the findings will be published.
