What is a Barista
You hear the term Barista regularly, but what exactly does it mean? Let’s dive into a dictionary for the meaning:
catering employee who specializes in preparing and serving coffee
Ok that is quite a simple meaning, so if someone always makes the coffee in a catering company, is he also a barista?
Perhaps within that catering company, but probably not in terms of a real barista from another company.
Sommelier
Someone who knows a lot about wine can be called a sommelier. Basically, a barista is a sommelier for coffee.
The barista not only makes and serves coffee. The barista knows everything about coffee. This way they know which bean to use for which brewing method.
Do they know exactly which grind goes with which and do they know exactly how the coffee should be made with regard to the brewing method used. Often down to the degrees of the water and the grams of the coffee.
There are many baristas who can tell you everything about the coffee bean and where it comes from. Sometimes even up to the name of the farmer.
So can you call someone who makes coffee a barista? Well let’s not do that because a real barista does and knows much more about coffee and we would really shortchange him or her with this.
After all, if I hammer a nail into a plank, I’m not a carpenter, am I?!
A barista is a profession in itself and we should have more respect for the people who make our daily cup of coffee for us. Especially if you also find it super tasty.
