Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2012/January 2013 | Page 107

FOOD

misbelievers drink it! It was baptised and

flavours and aromas develop from the

blessed.

reaction of the heat and coffee essence. A

Industrial bosses noticed how much better

second pop occurs which is when the bean

staff worked after a coffee break. In 1901

is roasted. The roast master will then decide

Luigi Bezzerra invented the first espresso –

on the remaining roast using sight, sound

on demand coffee machine and this placed

and smell.

Italy at the centre of a coffee espresso based
coffee revolution.
The roasting process has to start with good

Coffee is cooled. Once cooled beans have
to be protected from light, heat and moisture
and oxygen. In modern times this means a

beans; this is why the best roasters have

sophisticated foil packaging. Beans are then

deep and long links to their growers. The

shipped and are stable until ground by the

beans for roasting are often a blend from

user.

different regions, but the roast itself is part

Having gone through all this the coffee

art and part science with signature tweaks.

must not be spoiled at the last, the perfect

Coffee beans are roasted at around 280c

espresso has to have the right amount

in a tumbler which stops the beans from

of coffee, the correct water temperature,

burning. After eight minutes the beans go

pressure and grind. It should take around 25

yellow and then brown, and as the oils

seconds to run the coffee producing a rich

emerge they pop and double in size. The

creamy top.

next three to five minutes is when the

There are four layers before the coffee beans.
The first layer is a thick bitter skin, below which
there is a sweet flesh, and these are remove @