The history of espresso starts with the tale of coffee. According to legend, coffee was first learned by an Abyssinian goat herder. One day while lounging in the hot sun, he noticed his goats dancing about after eating some red berries. He sampled the berries himself, became rejuvenated and started dancing along with his flock. He shared them with the villagers who became quite fond of the magical morsels. And the rest is history. Truth or folklore? We do know that coffee was certainly cultivated in Yemen by the 15th century and probably much earlier than that.
Espresso is a tasty and full-bodied coffee beverage that has an outstanding cultural history. The French and the Italians drink it often, and as a result, it is more highly regarded than plain ancient “American coffee”. But with the ever-growing popularity of franchised coffee houses, espresso has been transported from Europe and into our daily lives! Initially it takes a certain taste palate to find espresso appealing, as it has an incredibly intense and rich, often bitter flavor. Once one has gotten used to the taste, it opens up an entire world of coffee beverages for you to delight in!
As a general definition, Espresso is a coffee beverage prepared using water under pressure. But, a more exact definition is necessary because the brewing method requires strict conditions be satisfied for the beverage to be acceptable, and even more strict for the beverage to be at its potential which can be nothing small of phenomenal. When skillfully prepared with high quality coffee, it is one of the most enjoyable beverages that humans have ever invented. It is also a very powerful component to a wide menu of well loved beverages such as lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos and mochas.
As you might expect, the term “espresso” comes from the Italian language. The English translations include both “quick” and also “expressly for a special purpose”. Both of these definitions suggest the original intent that inspired the invention and perfection of Espresso, in that satisfying the inherent urgency and ego of human nature, people wanted their coffee personally made for them as quickly as possible upon their requested demand. Espresso perfectly satisfies these human desires given its very quick brewing time, and the fact that it is brewed in individual parts. It is an added benefit that the brewing method tends to make, when all of the underlying conditions are right, the most extraordinary of beverages.
In 1901, an Italian named Luigi Bezzera learned a way to force pressurized hot water and steam through fine coffee grounds, inventing the now cherished coffee drink. The machine wasn’t perfect, but it could produce coffee quickly with an added flavor bonus. It was unlike any coffee before it, and it is still unmatched today. It was soon learned that the excess steam from the coffee brewing could be used to heat and froth milk. Thus came the “latte”, and all from the simple desire to do things quicker. A patent was bought from Bezzera by another Italian, and in 1903, the espresso machine was manufactured and sold all throughout Europe.
The distinguishing sensory characteristics of Italian espresso include a rich body, a full fine aroma, an equilibrated bitter-sweet taste with an acidic note and a pleasant lingering after-taste, exempt from unpleasant flavor defects.”
To extend the technical definition somewhat, we might say that espresso is an entire system of coffee production, a system that includes specific approaches to blending the coffee, to roasting it, and to grinding it; and that emphasizes freshness through grinding and brewing coffee a cup at a time on demand rather than brewing a pot in advance from pre-ground coffee and letting the result sit until it is served.
Obviously, for the Espresso beverage to satisfy the most demanding consumer, many conditions must be met:
1. The coffee used for the preparation must be of high quality and have characteristics that are positively exhibited through the espresso brewing method.
2. The water used for brewing must be clean, free of foul aromas or flavors, and be applied to the coffee at the appropriate and consistent temperature and pressure.
3. The quality of the machines used to grind the coffee and brew the Espresso must be capable of maintaining the established standards.
4. The skill of the operator who is responsible for brewing the Espresso must be of a high enough ability to consistently produce the exacting standards of the brew.
