Illy Coffee Expert Class at the ICC

Substance and Style, Tradition and Innovation, Oh Yes, and Espresso

May 28, 2009 Jacqueline Church

How much history, engineering, science, and passion can be poured into a tiny little cup? Plenty. Excellence in education makes for caffeinated fun.

Culinary education is hot and no one does it better than the International Culinary Center. While courses are offered in Italy, you can save your miles and simply pop into the sister school of the French Culinary Institute for this eye-opening course.

From Barrister to Barista

Former attorneys, architects, food writers and cafe owners joined other career changers and would-be baristas in this exclusive course. The well-known gourmet food expert David Rosengarten joined the inaugural class and returns to help teach the second offering, June 1 & 2 (details below). There were also several students who were simply curious culinarians. Attesting to the quality of the courses, many had taken multiple offerings at the ICC.

A History Lesson

Did you know that the word coffee is thought to have originated in Yemen? Monks called it the Wine of Arabia and used it to stay alert for long prayer or meditation sessions.

In 15th century Turkey Orthodox Muslims had determined the stimulant a menace but the Turkish so loved the beverage that it was part of the marriage contract. The husband was obligated to keep the family in coffee and his failure to do so was one of the few grounds (you’ll pardon the pun) upon which a woman could file for divorce.

By the 1600s the Pope blessed the coffee distribution in Europe making way for its widespread use and enjoyment.

Extraction Equals Excellence

Early scuba diving lessons swam faintly about as we switched gears from history to learn about bars of pressure.

Many of the problems leading to a poor cup of coffee are due to improper extraction. The secret to Illy’s success was the early engineering at the heart of the company. The founders understood that separating the water pressure from the water temperature was the key. All of that hissing that goes on is for a reason. And the banging. Just so. Learn the exact methods used by experts and why they work.

Theobromines, methylxanthines..the science was there. And some lovely sandwiches in the back of the room next to the espresso. The thorough coverage of every detail makes for a satisfying and truly quality educational experience. Having class in a culinary school means hospitality and good food are not far at any moment.

Growing and Roasting

The perfect cup requires care from the soil to your sip. Incredible attention is paid to how beans are grown, selected, roasted, stored. Trends such as Fair Trade and Shade Grown coffees as well as Organic were discussed. The larger backdrop of a general move toward fewer inputs into the soil, reduced water consumption and sustainability principles are bounded by the realities of coffee’s place in the world commodities market.

Precision and Flair

Can you imagine 3 tons of beans being sorted one at a time? How about a cannister manufactured to specifications allowing the precise pressure desired for freshness? Gas Chromatography is used to test samples. The 250 volatile aromatic components and 1000 compounds which produce the aroma are delicately balanced and blended before roasting. Beans are sorted by size so the roasting actually creates uniform taste. Smaller beans would roast faster creating too much of the Maillard reaction. Astounding control over every minute aspect of the production is covered.

But what is substance without fashion? Nothing is truly Italian without some style, right? Our class was taught by a team including the Giorgio Milos who won the Italian finals of the World Barista Championship in 2008 (see below). He helped to make the class entertaining. He demonstrated, as well as led students in, the making perfect cappucinos and espressos.

Just as with wine tasting courses, students were guided through isolation of various taste components bitter, sour, salty, sweet. Over- and under-extracted brews were then tasted for the effects in the cup.

The class ended with hands-on application of what was taught and demonstrated, including, of course, a little flair.

The Details:

The ICC is home to a full curriculum open to recreational cooks. This is just one of the courses enabling one to obtain a quality culinary experience without the travel.

Coffee Expert: From Plant to Cup

Next Class: June 1 and 2, 2009

9:00am to 4:30pm

Where: The International Culinary Center

462 Broadway at Grand

Cost: $595

In this two-day intensive, taught by coffee experts from the ICC, illy’s UDC professors from Trieste, Italy, and David Rosengarten, one of the world's foremost authorities on food, wine and cooking, students will learn the details that go into crafting a superior brew. Class begins with a fascinating botanical and historical overview of the bean, and then embarks on an in-depth study of coffee in two of its elemental forms-- espresso and cappuccino. Interactive tastings and discussions help students build their palates, Hands-on training using state-of-the-art machines rounds out the experience. Students will emerge from this two-day class ready to put their new-found knowledge into immediate practice, even if their only ambition is to make fine coffee at home.

Whether you are "just a food geek" or a professional this thoroughly educational and entertaining course is well worth the time and investment. You will truly never have another cup of coffee without noticing the balance, the quality and the technique that went into it. Or the lack thereof. Bust a button when your certificate arrives attesting to your newly gained expertise!

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