Barista Magazine

OCT-NOV 2013

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BRA ZIL THE CITY OF BELO HORIZONTE sits in the midst of Minas Gerais, Brazil's fourth-largest state and its main coffee producing region. The hilly city sprawls in every direction from its old center into the verdant distance as dozens—if not hundreds—of 20-story apartment and office towers strike narrow, blocky silhouettes against the horizon, seemingly popping up in every direction like so many mushrooms after a rain. It's the sixth-largest city in the country, but the metropolitan area is the third most populous after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Though it is a modern Latin American metropolis, with all of the accompaniments that go with that distinction—like the cinder block shantytowns haphazardly mixed in with the mirrored facades of brand-new buildings and upscale stores sporting all sorts of luxury brands—Belo Horizonte, at its heart, has something of an artist's sensibility. Those apartment buildings, for example, are just as likely to have paint jobs that make them look like Mondrian's handicraft as the ubiquitous 21st-century glass, as they are to be decorated in graffiti. Though the city also boasts its fair allotment of Brazilian modern architecture, that super-futuristic look of swooping glass, unexpected angles, bright white concrete, and a general sense of style is reminiscent of Buck Roger's 24th-century New Chicago. It also has a reputation as Brazil's foodie city and is renowned for its outdoor cafés, restaurants, and bars. As one resident says, "We don't have the beach or the ocean, but we do Above le : Fields of coffee are cut back to stimulate new growth at Sao Francisco Estate in Carmo de Minas, Brazil. The cu ings are le on the ground to protect and nourish the soil. At right: The 13th national barista championship of Brazil was held for the first time in the city of Belo Horizonte. Barista Leo Moço claimed the title. have many great restaurants and the most bars in Brazil!" Belo Horizonte (pronounced by most Brazilians as a four-syllable word—Bell-or-ZON-tay—also has a touch of younger-sibling syndrome: It's the capital of something Brazil is synonymous with—coffee—but big brother to the south, São Paulo, has hosted the seven Expocafés and all 12 of the previous national barista championships. That changed, however, this past September when the city played host to International Coffee Week and brought not just Expocafé (the country's largest coffee trade show) but also the aforementioned barista championship, along with the Brewers Cup and Cup Tasters Championships, plus the 50th-anniversary celebration for the International Coffee Organization, not to mention numerous cuppings, lectures, and other activities held over the course of four days. And the plan is to keep the coffee events coming back to Belo Horizonte, at least on alternate years, well into the future. Call it little brother finally getting his due. It was important to hold events like the barista championship in different cities in Brazil than just São Paulo, said Katia Nassuno A. Alves, president of the Association of Brazilian Cafés and Baristas, "because Brazil is huge. And we heard from different people [saying], 'We want the competition to move around.'" Still, www.baristamagazine.com 27

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