We talk about coffee with Karol Przedycki - a coffee guru in Etno Cafe.

Coffee is a story that starts with a small grain. The beginning is of course the right cultivation, harvest and storage, then selection of the best grains, thoughtful mixtures and proper burn, and finally the hands of a barista and an aromatic black drink.

Entering Etno Cafe in Wrocław, you can't not feel (literally!) This story. However, we see something more - the interior. Thought -out, balanced and refined - like a cup of good coffee, to which this time we added our little grain - Lili console.

The interior is impressive. You can catch your breath and energy, as well as inspiration. Our inspiration today is coffee, which we talk about with Karol Przesmycki - a coffee guru and Barista coach in Etno Cafe.
Coffee flows in his veins. He can infect even with his passion not declared. Although he does not leave him with good humor, he approaches the topic with seriousness and does not tolerate the diminutive of "Kawka".

Berke: Let's start from the very beginning. What is the easiest way to choose coffee that we like?

Charles: It's best to give yourself to us 😊. There are a lot of things in coffee (just like in wine) that affect how it tastes. We need to know your taste a bit and adapt it to specific preferences. There is no better coffee or worse. Each is different and suited to a specific brewing method. Coffee machine, overflow espresso machine? Our task is to find out how you brew coffee, what flavors you like. Is it some acidity, fruit note, or rather a lot of bitterness. Black or with milk? If you buy too delicate coffee, which works great in overflow methods, and you drink it with milk, it will simply get lost.

Berke:Good coffee, or what? Are there any general features of coffee, which means that we can call it "good, quality" coffee.

Charles: I objectively call it one word - coffee should be comprehensive. A lot should happen there.
We have such a general opinion - that coffee is bitter. This is what great coffee corporations taught us, which burns out the coffee very much in order to hide its worse quality. As a result, most consumers add milk or sugar to coffee :) Of course, we're talking about "heavy bitterness". However, good coffee in itself should be delicate enough so that we can enjoy it without unnecessary additions. Her rich bouquet should recall many floral, spicy or fruit notes fractions. If we feel different flavors with each sip, the initial sip differs from the final, we can certainly say that it is good coffee and of course well burned.

Berke: What coffee do you like?

Charles: I am aware that I don't know so many coffee yet. I don't want to be in a specific specific one. I adjust her more to the time of day, my mood, lifestyle and even the season.
I don't have time - I fall into fast espresso. When I have a moment to celebrate it, I make a transfer, one of the types of triper or chemex -where the coffee brewing process itself lasts 10-15 minutes.
The saying "Don't talk to me before the first cup of coffee" doesn't apply to me :). I don't have to drink coffee every day!
I drank too much coffee to agree to anything. I don't want to waste his taste buds (laughs). Certainly not just anywhere!

Berke: How about soluble coffee? Do you want to refute any myths?

Charles: Absolutely the first myth to overthrow: soluble coffee is not chemistry. The manufacturer cannot add anything to pure instant coffee (this is regulated by EU regulations). This association with chemistry came from the so -called Written coffee products such as capuccino with magnesium and there actually Mendeleev's table is rich. However, we will not find any chemical compounds in pure instant coffee.

There are even two pros of soluble coffee. It is fast and easy to prepare :). I prove at my workshops that you don't even need hot water to brew it. You can pour it successfully with cold water!

However, this is undoubtedly a highly processed product, so you will not recognize the whole fraction of flavors that good coffee should have, and certainly good quality.

Berke: Apparently, coffee with taste extracts are worse than soluble coffee - are they more chemical?

Charles: We have to distinguish between two things. Coffee itself is the most complex, aromatic flavor to drink. The wine is only in third place. There you will find flowers, herbs, spices, citrus ... There are a lot of these aromas and they are of course natural.
However, what you mentioned are flavored coffee.
These are all these coffees, nut, vanilla, Irish Cream etc., etc., (laughs)
They have oils that are to give taste, so coffee beans will be not the best quality here. And what is worth mentioning - flavored coffee is a terrible "killer" for our mills. Fat from aromas just clog them up.

Berke: In many respects, the coffee world is governed by laws similar to the world of fashion. Can some trends be seen in coffee? What do you expect in 2022?

Charles: Looking at mainstream coffee, I didn't notice such trends. As consumers, we like to get used to specific flavors.
However, trends start at the level of barista competition. Anyway, we have the first Polish woman who won the title of world champion among baristas.
As a matter of fact, trends began when the growers after the meeting began to process the grain in another specific way. So I'm talking about all the fun with grain, before burning, to get an interesting, unusual, surprising notes from it. These are coffee that do not have a typical taste of coffee, and more, for example, mango, passion fruit, fruit mousse. Of course, such coffee can be bought. In stores, look for coffee of specialty quality. They have clearly burned grain, in cinnamon.

Berke:  Does green coffee really have any special properties, or is it such a fashion for goi berries?

Charles: The green coffee trend was created around the same time when we were delighted with green tea. There is such a widespread understanding that everything that is green is healthy, you need to drink it, etc. This is about chlorogenic acid and anti -detoxicts.
However, the truth is that it is better to make yourself a green salad and enjoy its taste than drink green coffee, which tastes with beans, stones, soil, and absolutely tasty. (laughter)

Berke: Is it true that Kopi Luwak is the best coffee in the world?

Charles: First of all, let's start with taste. I drank. She was interesting. However, not outstanding. And certainly this is not the most expensive coffee in the world.
What's up with a copy of Luwak? Digestion by small mammals deprives her of bitterness, which makes it a little more delicate. However, the second face of her cultivation speaks to me - namely ethical issues. Dishonest farmers, began to catch Łaskuny, imprison them in cages, forcing them to eat coffee beans not of the best quality. Hence, there are more and more organizations that fight the cultivation of this coffee. In Indonesia, the threshold of the coffee content excreted by mammals is increasingly lowering, so that it can be considered a coffee of the Luwak. It is a marketing bubble for me, which is primarily not ethical.

Berke:  If you were to combine coffee with some addition in what form?

Charles: I will absolutely start with "de gustibus non est Disputandum". It is the same with food and coffee. Another bouquet of flavors will stimulate taste buds. Looking a bit through the prism of the championship competition, where coffee is created Any (non -alcoholic) drink based on espresso. I saw the additions of everything -from fruit, roots, spices, nuts, tea extracts, jasmine, etc., etc. Maybe I couldn't see meat (laughs)
I would probably not experiment with vegetables. I am in favor of finding coffee that we will like in itself, in its natural bouquet. Coffee, which I often use - Columbia - has a delicate acidity, reminiscent of stone fruit. However, with the addition of milk, it will give us a taste of caramel.

Berke:  Can you make good coffee at home?

Charles: Absolutely yes. The starting point will always be good quality and well ground grain. Coffee ground in mittle will give us more bitterness. However, the same ground for a thicker milling will give us a more delicate, more fruity aftertaste. If we want to play in good preparation of coffee - the grinder is one of the more important things that we need to consider. I mean a grinder grinder, which rubs coffee (such as for pepper).

Berke: What coffee taste is the best in the morning?

Charles: I will say through my prism. Very often donate blood, so without a solid dose of two coffees I would not be able to function. Coffee actually raises our pressure, but does not stimulate. Caffeine contained in coffee affects the center responsible for feeling fatigue, but it does not stimulate us! It can be said that it cheats us a bit - it doesn't give us energy such as glucose.