The Malaysia Barista Championship Committee presents Speciality Coffee Media Workshop – A Journey From Bean to Cup @ Plan B Roaster, PUBLIKA.

The Malaysia Barista Championship Committee presents Speciality Coffee Media Workshop – A Journey From Bean to Cup @ Plan B Roaster, PUBLIKA.

In anticipation of the 4th Malaysia Barista Championship, the Malaysia Barista Championship Committee along with organisers Racing Creatures Sdn Bhd with the support of Barista Guild Asia, Coffex Coffee, Dankoff and Tourism Victoria, presented today a Specialty Coffee Media Invitational Workshop – A Journey From Bean To Cup to members of the media. I am a coffee lover but never understand that the real work behind a good cuppa coffee.

With the increasing popularity of specialty coffee bars catering to discerning customers and the rise of introduction of cafe quality coffee machines available in the market, the public is becoming more aware and interested in the flavours, textures and brewing styles associated with coffee. No longer is coffee simply a drink after meal.

Coffee beans from around the world.
In the last 12 months, it seems some cafes in Malaysia has reached a level as good as some others overseas such as Melbourne, if not better when it comes to coffee quality. Whilst Melbourne has enjoyed a long and eventful love affair with coffee from the time the first Italian-owned cafes imported Melbourne’s earliest espresso machines in the 1950s and its coffee cultures is now firmly entrenched into the cobbled streets of Melbourne, we however hear Malaysia coffee culture lacks the same substance but the great shift has now occured.

Back in home ground in Malaysia, the ‘third wave’ coffee culture has firmly taken a foothold with an explosion of options available. The vibrant cafe culture reminiscent of these in Melbourne are springing up all over the peninsular in the last couple years to fulfill the demands of the local sophisticated coffee lover with some cafes are just offering ‘black’ or ‘white’ specialty coffee. In the rise of this new era, baristas are playing a crucial role in the culture and consumption of specialty coffee. Highlighting this role is the 4th Malaysia Barista Championship (MBC) 2013 to be held at MAPKL, PUBLIKA Dutamas on the 23-24 March 2013.

We got to taste 5 different types of coffee beans from five different countries.
As MBC aims to be the platform for baristas to exchange experience, cultivate skills, advancing the barista profession and increase creativity and showmanship to engage a worldwide audience with an annual championship event at the World Barista Championship (WBC) that serves as the culmination of local and regional events around the globe.

In this workshop, the organisers hope to engage the media into the world of specialty coffee and also to promote coffee excellence. During 3 sessions consisting of 1) Roasting 2) Cupping and 3) Brewing Methods, the media was led through an exploration of senses under the expertise of Ms Yee Fai and Mr Kelvin Ngow of Coffex Coffee and Mr Daniel Liew of Barista Guild Asia.

The roasting session.

During the roasting session, I was taught on the fundamentals of roasting and the reason why you get unroasted coffee beans than the roasted ones. The roasting process was crucial to create the most perfect beans to consume.

The educational tour continues with the cupping and brewing methods and even though it sounds fundamental but the actual technique of perfecting the methods requires knowledge, skill and technique.

The media explored 5 Single origin coffee beans from 3 different regions; the roasting procedures of coffee; the art of cupping to determine grade and quality of coffee as well as experience the different brewing methods of coffee. All these processes and its methods play an important role in delivering the best cup of coffee to the consumer. Failing which, the perfect cup of coffee lays in the hands of the skilled barista!

The Malaysia Barista Championship 2013 is hosted co-jointly by Racing Creatures Sdn Bhd and Barista Guild Asia; and also made possible with partners: PUBLIKA, Coffex Coffee, Dankoff, Global Resources Coffee, Monin, Nouva Simonelli, Concept Art and Farmhouse Milk.

Wilson Ng