Do you LOVE coffee?

A daily morning wake-up ritual, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up jolt, or savouring gourmet blends with friends: coffee is a cultural icon all over the world.

For coffee lovers, there is little that’s worse than a bad cup of coffee – most of us would rather go without it than drink a substandard cup.

Australia is known for serving some of the very best coffee globally.

With the right barista training, you too can actively participate in our coffee culture and make the perfect cup of Espresso, Café Latte, Vienna, Cappucino, Macchiato, and more!

What is Coffee Culture?

Coffea is a type of small flowering shrub or tree that is native to tropical Asia and tropical and southern Africa. The seeds are called coffee beans, and those of some species of coffee plants are used to flavour beverages and other food products.

The term “coffee culture” refers to the traditions and social behaviours that inform how we consume coffee and exhibit its social influence all over the world.

A (Very) Brief History of Coffee

The rich history of coffee, from the discovery of what could be done with the coffee bean to its cultural significance today, is fascinating.

In a nutshell:

• Coffee may be what is referred to in Homer’s 8^th century B.C. The Odyssey as a “magical potion”.
• The first cup of coffee: according to legend, an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his flock became energised after eating berries from a certain bush; he tried it himself and was exhilarated by the effect. He brought the berries to a monk, who threw them onto the fire in disgust, but the captivating aroma that ensued brought others in the monastery to investigate. The roasted beans were collected, ground, and dissolved in hot water for drinking.
• We know that the human consumption of coffee dates back at least as far as the 9^th The Oromo tribe of Ethiopia made food from roasted coffee beans, butter, and salt.
• By the 15^th century (1400s) coffee was known in Mecca and had been imported from Ethiopia to Yemen by Somali merchants. It initially spread from what is now Yemen via Mecca and Medina to Cairo, Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, and Constantinople (Istanbul).
• A writer reported in 1587 that the Mufti of Aden, first known to have adopted the regular use of coffee around 1454, found that “it drove away fatigue and lethargy … brought to the body a certain sprightliness and vigour”.
• Many early proponents of coffee, especially Islamic science and medicine practitioners, promoted the beverage as beneficial and stimulating for the mind while effectively overcoming the allure of hashish and alcohol. At the same time, coffee was used to enhance concentration during prayer in Sufi monasteries. It helped Islamic consumers fast during the day and remain awake at night during Ramadan – and legend had it that the archangel Gabriel gifted it to humans as a replacement for forbidden wine.
• Coffee consumption was forbidden in 1511 in Mecca by orthodox imams due to its stimulating effects. This was overturned in 1524 but coffee was similarly forbidden in Cairo in 1532. In the centuries that followed it was banned for some time by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Everywhere it was consumed, it became a controversial topic and was seen by many as taboo. It was widely prohibited at times, and even taxed to prevent the unemployed and bureaucrats from being able to consume it.
• The first recorded public coffee house was located in Arabia (modern-day Yemen) in the 15^th Here, men would gather to drink coffee while they conversed, enjoyed music, and played games.
• In the early 1500s, coffee consumption spread to the Levant (present-day Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Palestinian Territories, Greece, and Cyprus). It became a major key to the Red Sea region’s economy from the 1400s to the 1600s. Public coffee houses spread from Arabia to Egypt, Turkey, and later India, the East Indies, Europe, and elsewhere in the world.
• Central and Eastern Europeans were introduced to coffee from the Ottoman Empire (Modern Turkey). Coffee houses became established in Western Europe by late in the 17^th century, and the beverage was particularly popular in England, Holland, and what is now Germany. By 1675 there were more than 3,000 public coffee houses in England, and these became popular gathering places for political and religious discussions. Charles II tried to dissolve the presence of these establishments due to their potential for encouraging subversive practices in 1670.
• Coffee was believed by many in the 1600s and 1700s to have medicinal benefits, including as a cure for nervous disorders, upset stomach, headaches, dizziness, and more. Some women (who were banned from many coffee houses) petitioned against its use, claiming it made their husbands impotent!
• Coffee beans and seedlings were exported by the Dutch to the Americas via Martinique in 1720. These sprouted more than 18,000 trees and coffee plantations spread to other Caribbean islands and Mexico. In 1788, Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean supplied half of the world’s coffee beans.
• By the 1800s, the Italian love affair with coffee was well established, having been first introduced to the region via trade in Venice, and wealthy Venetians, despite being charged heavily for coffee, became enthralled by it. Soon, spectacular coffee houses were built for the public to enjoy this drink and, to this day, the famous Caffé Zucca in Milan (dating from 1867) remains open as a café. The espresso was invented in 1901 by Luigi Bezzera of Milan.
• By 1852, Brazil was the largest producer of coffee and this is still the case. Today, the other major players in coffee production are Vietnam, Colombia, Ivory Coast, and Ethiopia.

 

Coffee has since spread all over the world. In Australia, coffee “palaces” began to pop up in Melbourne in the 1880s. The first espresso machine appeared in Melbourne’s Café Florentino in the 1930s.

Australia’s wider appreciation for coffee grew dramatically after World War II, very much influenced by the large intake of Italian immigrants who made Australia their home and brought with them coffee machines. This provided Australians with superior espresso coffee.

To this day, most Australians tend to prefer to drink quality coffee or none at all. Unlike the US tendency to drink large cups of bitter, watery drip coffee, Australians favour espresso-style, individually-made cups of coffee that are smaller in size – but stronger and smoother in taste.

Make Amazing Coffee – Train to Be a Barista at Catch Training!

Sydney Registered Training Organisation Catch Training is delighted to offer several barista courses. From getting you started on your journey to working as a barista (or simply having the skills to make a professional-level cup of coffee at home!) to advanced techniques needed for working in high-end hospitality venues, we provide it all.

Our Sydney Barista Course options include:

• Barista Crash Course
• Advanced Barista
• Latte Art
• Barista Crash & Latte Art Combo
• Barista Crash & Advanced Barista Combo
• Barista Crash, Latte Art, & Advanced Barista Combo
• RSA-RCG-Barista Crash Combo
• RSA-RCG-Barista Crash-Latte Art Combo

Our barista training is conducted at Catch Training’s centres at Blacktown, Campbelltown, St Mary’s, and the Hills District.

Learn the art of making gold-standard coffee and make your own mark on our coffee culture!

Call 02 8007 3427 or email us today to enrol for our fun and social Barista Training in Sydney or explore our website for more information!