Who Prepared My Cappuccino?

I sat down comfortably at my favorite coffee shop. I watched the man who was preparing my double cappuccino i.e. two shots of espresso with milk and froth on top. I didn't know that a person who prepared and served coffee had a special name. Yes... he or she is called Barista.

Simply said, the role of a barista is to have enough knowledge of the entire process of coffee to effectively prepare a desired cup of coffee. But it is not as simple as pouring some coffee powder, mix it with hot water, sugar, and milk! Not at all...

A skilled barista must be able to operate the espresso machine. He or she must take care of the maintenance of the machine. Furthermore, a good barista should master the grinding and tamping methods, water temperature and quality, extraction times, milk frothing, pouring, the coffee art, roasting, coffee plant cultivation, drying methods, proper storage... Wow... So much to learn, huh...

I drank my strong cappuccino and imagined myself to be the best barista ever... Yeah right..

E.S.P.R.E.S.S.O

Did I mention that espresso is the base for some coffee drinks?? So what is espresso anyway? When I first tried it I was shocked because the drink was served in a very small cup! "What the hell is this?" I thought. Then I had a sip and I frowned immediately. The taste was extremely bitter! But, since it was bitter I enjoyed it...

It turned out that the term "espresso" is derived from the Italian word for express since espresso is made for and served immediately to the customer. Espresso coffee provides an intense aroma and flavor experience due to very little amount of water, but no calories. Furthermore, espresso has no more caffeine than regular coffee. Espresso can be single espresso or double espresso. If you want to experience more of the strength and aroma of a cuppa, then go for double espresso.

Properly brewed espresso results in the creation of crema, a caramel-colored foam that floats on the surface of the espresso, a result of the high-pressure brewing process.

This is a small cup of double espresso. Can you see the crema on the surface?

Espresso Based Coffee Drink - Cappuccino

Cappuccino is very popular espresso based coffee drink. It can be served hot or cold. Of course, I like it hot and strong. Unfortunately, the strength of coffee in cappucino varies from one cafe to another.


Anyway, after being a fan of such drink, it's time for me (and you perhaps) to dig more about this potion. Cappuccino is actually Italian beverage, prepared with espresso and milk. Generally, the composition of cappuccino goes like this: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk and 1/3 frothed milk. Another composition of cappuccino is 1/3 espresso and 2/3 microfoam. Microfoam is prepared by introducing very tiny bubbles of air into the milk.


In conclusion, cappuccino is a shot of espresso with steamed milk poured in without holding back the foam.

In Italy, cappuccino is consumed almost exclusively early in the day for breakfast. In other countries, it is consumed throughout the day and after dinner. In my home, there's absolutely no time limit.


A cup of strong cappuccino with a slice of blackforest cake... Hmm... that will make my day...!

I Like Bitter Coffee

I always like bitter coffee. Often that when I had a cuppa at various coffee shops, I was disappointed as the coffee there wasn't strong at all. I could only taste a mild coffee flavor in it and I felt like drinking brown milk. So, whenever I go to a cafe I always say, "One cup of cappucino, please... A bit stronger one." Some waitresses understand but some don't know what it means by 'a bit stronger one'. I ended up explaining that I like bitter coffee.

This one cup of cappucino is quite a strong one, after saying the magic sentence 'a bit stronger one'. Served at a local coffee shop in Bandung, called Bawean. The dark two cookies are yummy as well...

My First Time

As far as I can recall, I first drank coffee when I was in high school. I was in the middle of hectic exam schedule and I wondered what I should do to boost my focus and energy.

My parents were coffee drinkers... they still are... They said if you drink coffee then you wouldn't be able to sleep for hours to come... And I thought, "Oh that's cool! I can hit the books longer then..."

I prepared my first cup of coffee, which was instant coffee, Nescafe. I prepared it bitter as during that time I also did some kind of teenage dieting i.e. reducing the sugar intake... Strangely enough, I liked it...

Since then, I never stop having a cuppa, well two cups, everyday...