RIMINI, Italy – The aroma of coffee will pervade the 37th SIGEP, at Rimini Fiera from January 23rd to 27th 2016. For five days, there will be the world´s best production of the precious raw material, along with the sector´s professionals. It will be the ideal context for staging all the finals of the competitions that are focussed on coffee.
These competitions are part of the prestigious international World Coffee Events circuit, promoted by the SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe) and SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America).
In Rimini, dozens of baristas selected all over the country will compete for the following titles: Italian Barista Championship, Italian Latte Art Championship, Italian Coffee In Good Spirits Championship, Italian Brewers Cup Championship, Italian Cup Tasting Championship, Italian Ibrik Championship, Italian Roasting Championship.
Proceedings will start with the CIBC, Italian Cafeteria Barista Championship, valid for the WBC (World Barista Championship), the international competition with the patronage of the SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe).
Participants in the CIBC will be required to prepare 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 personalized espresso-based signature drinks in 15 minutes. The beverages they prepare will be tasted and judged by a panel of expert judges.
Not just coffee, on the other hand, for the Italian Latte Art Championship (CILA), the all-Italian challenge that will however give the winners access to the WLA World Latte Art Championship.
Contestants will be art-baristas competing for victory in just eight minutes, during which they will have to prepare two identical café au lait, two identical hot milks with a dash of coffee and two identical beverages to present to two visual judges, a technical judge and a head judge.
Italian Coffee in Good Spirits Championship (CIGS), is also valid for the WCIGS, World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship.
The contest is divided into a preliminary phase and a final phase. In the preliminary stage, contestants will have five minutes for to prepare and eight minutes to make four beverages; two (identical) coffee and alcohol-based hot drinks and two (identical) coffee and alcohol-based cold drinks.
The drinks must be based on a theme connected with the nation hosting the Championship.
The six best contestants will go forward to the final round, in which they will be required to make four drinks: two Irish Coffees and two hot or cold coffee and alcohol-based drinks.
With the Italian World Brewers Cup Championship, it will be possible to see how to make good filter coffee, which has become a trend in Italian venues too.
In fact, the challenge between the participants is based on their ability to make the best coffee using manual ´pourover´ methods, pouring hot water by hand over coffee powder held in a filter, a system used above all in Scandinavian and Asiatic countries, as well as in the United States of America.
The tests consist in preparing three beverages to serve to three sensorial judges, who will also use a ´refractometer´ to test the level of dissolved solid contents in the coffee, which must therefore be prepared correctly, as well as being good.
Italian Cup Tasting Championship is a tasting challenge. The participants will undergo a test consisting in identifying the ´odd´ coffee among three cups, of which two have the same contents.
There will be eight tests to be passed, for which the contestants will have to unleash all theirs tasting and olfactory skills in order to be able to identify highest number of ´odd´ coffees in the shortest possible time.
Italian Ibrik Championship is the national competition for making Turkish coffee using the characteristic Turkish pot: the ibrik or cezve. Contestants are invited to use their own personal style and culture to enrich their performances. They will have to prepare two beverages, one hot and one cold, in 12 minutes.
The contestants and their coffees will be assessed by two sensorial judges, two technical/visual judges and a chief judge.
Italian Roasting Championship is based on the participants´ ability to evaluate (grade) the coffee, roast it and serve a high quality coffee.
In the first stage of the competition, the contestants will have to examine the characteristics of the green coffee they are supplied (from its water content to any defects in the beans), roast it and analyze its aroma when poured.
In the second one, on the other hand, they will be required to present green coffees and the relative roasting plan for each single origin and blend, and then roast them.
Lastly, the coffees presented will be served in cups and judged by ´blindfolded´ judges and contestants.
At SIGEP, the added value resulting from the use of coffee in patisseries and gelato parlours will be highlighted. In fact, the national contest ´Wake up Coffee & Espresso Ice Cream´, organized by Conpait and Torrefazione Dubbini on Tuesday 26th January 2016.
This first edition is being launched with the intent of highlighting the harmonious aromas and flavours that can result from the combination of these creative worlds. Awards will go to the best leavened breakfast product and the best gelato made with coffee as a raw material, matched with an espresso. Ability, technique and fantasy are the ´arms´ contests will have to use.
In 2016, ´Barista & Farmer´ will be back. The third edition of the coffee talent show based on an idea by champion barista Francesco Sanapo in collaboration with Rimini Fiera and SIGEP, and the patronage of the SCAE, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.
The ten baristas of various nationalities taking part will be chosen by a popular jury of trade members from the numerous online applicants.
The lucky participants will be presented during the 37th International Exhibition of artisan Gelato, Pastry, Confectionery and Bakery production and will then fly to Brazil, where they will remain for 10 days.
There they will live in contact with the coffee producers in the places of origin, taking part in the harvest of the precious fruit of the land and its processing with various technologies.
They will also attend the Barista & Farmer Academy, at which the teachers will be the trade´s top professionals.
On Sunday 24th January, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Hall A1 – Stand 06 will host the 7th Professional Seminar on Qualitative and Creative Investment of Coffee in Pastry Making and Catering, organized by ´Pasticceria Internazionale´ with the collaboration of Torrefazione Dubbini and Rimini Fiera. The topic is ´Coffee tailor-made for pastry chefs. Culture, art, creativity and professionalism´.
The combination of coffee and pastry will be highlighted with a workshop with dedicated tasting sessions, plus recipes and suggestions for ´understanding´ and tasting coffee in its countless versions. Space will thus be dedicated to espresso, filter and aromatized coffee for beverages served along with pastry products and dishes.
At SIGEP there just had to be places dedicated to tasting: in fact, there will be an Espresso Bar dedicated to coffee made using the espresso method, as well as a Brew Bar, where it will be possible to taste coffees made using pourover, chemex, aeropress and french press, systems, which correspond to the respective instruments used to prepare the extremely popular beverage.
SIGEP 2016 AT A GLANCE
Dates: 23 – 27 January 2016; Organizers: Rimini Fiera SpA; edition: 37th; frequency: annual; classification: international; admittance: trade members only; hours: 9:30 am . 6:00 pm, last day 9:30 am . 3:00 pm (3:00 . 5:00 pm only with online tickets); business unit manager: Patrizia Cecchi; project managers: Gabriella de Girolamo (gelato), Giorgia Maioli (pastry, bakery, coffee); exhibitor info: tel. +39 0541 744521 fax +39 0541 744772; Web site: www.sigep.it
