Barista Magazine is your home for the worldwide community of coffee and the people who make it.
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/146883
a method to make strong coffee mainly using dark roast. [In the] last few years, the influence of pourover techniques from abroad is getting bigger. These days some shops started to use AeroPress. Siphon is always loved by [the] old generation and now [has] started to attract a few young customers. In Japan still direct trade is difficult. Transparency is [an] issue. In Japanese business practice to show all the costs is very difficult. That is why I have to import coffee myself. Right now [the] channels of specialty green beans are [a] little limited. This is [a] key issue for [the] growth of [the] Japanese specialty-coffee industry right now I think. SA: What's your method for marketing COE coffees and other really special coffees to your customers? KM: Ten years ago when I started to introduce Nicaragua COE coffee, nobody in my customer [base] knew where Nicaragua was located. At my café, pricing of this coffee was [the] same as house blend so that it was easy for them to taste. Many people want to price COE coffee high. I understand. But in the beginning this high price can be a hindrance. Before [a] new product penetrates a market one should be very careful. In general customers are afraid of trying something new. Free cupping is also very effective to let customers experience something new. SA: There's a great video of you teaching roasting in Colombia on the Colombian Coffee Hub website; you talk a lot about understanding the way coffee is progressing in the roaster by aroma. Can you tell us more about that? KM: Well, in the process of roasting, accurate assessment of how [a] roast is going is very important. I always wanted to know what is exactly going on inside [the] bean. For me, [the] smell from the center cut of [the] bean tells me many things. I can cut [the] bean to see inside but [the] roasting process is very fast so I prefer to pay attention to [the] smell. SA: I'm curious to know when in your coffee career you really noticed baristas gaining prominence? KM: On the way back to Japan from [buying trips in] origin counties, I often have to stop over [in the] U.S. or Europe. So I visit many coffee shops. I was shocked by Stumptown and Caffé Artigiano. People are making lines for espresso and cappuccino. It was around 2005. Also [the] WBC gave me new ideas about baristas. SA: How are baristas at Maruyama Coffee trained? KM: We emphasize on the importance of basic things. [The] right dosing, right tamping and so on. Sometimes [a] young barista wants to do something acrobatic. We always say, "Come back to basic." And espresso tasting is very important. Because through tasting you can judge what happened in extraction. So we do tasting training, too. SA: Please tell us about the Barista Camp that you operate with Fritz Storm. KM: It was Fritz's idea. He knew [that] baristas [sometimes feel] very alone when they are not in a situation where [they are being supported]. Baristas [have] to fight alone. So he wanted to make an atmosphere where baristas can feel safe, relaxed with other baristas. First it started as a champion camp where three-to-four national champions got together [and shared] insights [and] experience, and [helped] each other [prepare] for [the] WBC. Later we started [an] open camp where 10 to 15 baristas can learn about coffee and espresso, [and] not so much emphasize competitions. In camp, we feel like family. We have same problems, [same] issues as [the] barista, [and] as coffee person. At camp we are staying at [the] same hotel. We eat together, we have social events like pingpong match, brewery visits, and so on. It is fun. We invite guests from [the] industry and have deep lectures and discussion. Yes, we exercise at [the] espresso machine but it is not the most important thing. Techniques can be exercised at home, but sharing with other baristas [is] the most important. Barista Camp helps to make that atmosphere. (For more information about the Barista Camp, see page 19.) www.baristamagazine.com 83