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The Starbucks generation
By Margaux Salcedo
Inquirer
Last updated 08:27am (Mla time) 06/17/2007
MANILA, Philippines - When I was in college back in the '90s, we would study in the library, eat at the cafeteria, meet up at McDonalds, and hang out at the Pebble Wash (our tambayan). No one would "meet up for coffee." Coffee was something you would drink to stay awake to finish your thesis. No one had coffee just because. It had a purpose: it was my generation's upper of choice.
Today, coffee has a different role altogether. Even pre-teens have their grande Mocha Frappuccinos! It's just something you do now, this coffee business. Laptop-carrying kids study at Starbucks, eat at Starbucks (Frappuccinos till you bloat), meet up at Starbucks, hang out at Starbucks. Everything for this generation happens at Starbucks: that first date ("let's have coffee sometime”), the getting to know you, the hanging out, the studying together, the break-ups. Text-messaging teens go: "C U @ *BUX."
The sexy sea siren (that mermaid muse of the Starbucks logo for those who have been hiding under a rock) is this generation's goddess.
Only the old folks drink plain coffee anymore. Today you order either a latte, a mocha, an Americano, a macchiatto. If you don't know the differences, where have you been?
If truth be told, I had no clue until the late '90s, when Starbucks 6750 opened. Now, thanks to Starbucks, Coffee Bean, UCC, Gloria Jean's, Figaro and Bo's (apologies to the coffee shops I missed), we have become informed consumers: A latte is espresso in steamed milk, lightly topped with foam. A cappuccino is espresso in steamed milk (less than for a latte), with a deeper layer of foam. A mocha is espresso with chocolate syrup and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream... or not, as I prefer mine without. An Americano is espresso in water, what is really "just coffee." A macchiato is espresso in steamed milk with vanilla, topped with foam and caramel.
But the real coffee drinkers, those who would prefer an espresso over these shakes that pretend to be coffee by adding "ccino" like a surname, go a step further and know not only the ingredients of the drink but the origin of its beans. Real connoisseurs can tell by the taste of the coffee where the beans are from. This is done by being very observant about aspects of the coffee's taste: its body, characterized by the texture or mouthfeel of the coffee (is it oily?); its acidity, characterized by the level of tanginess of the drink; and its balance (what are the flavors involved and do they come together?).
Latin American coffees, for instance, generally have a smooth, medium body and great balance of flavors which may be of cocoa (Brazil), nuts (Colombia) or spices (Guatemala). African coffees are more floral and citrusy; Ethiopian blends have a floral aroma; Kenyan coffee has the aroma of fruit and wine, and Tanzanian coffee hints of blackcurrant. Meanwhile, Asian coffee is earthy, as you might note from your sip of a Sumatra blend.
The method used in distinguishing flavors is called coffee cupping, a professional practice although it can easily be done by anyone with an elegant tongue. You sniff the coffee ("Hmm...smells like an Arabiano, must be from Arabia!"), slurp it so the taste spreads to the back of the tongue, then analyze. Coffee growers go a step further and distinguish between Arabica (from the Arabian Peninsula) and Robusta (from western Africa).
Does Generation Y care? I believe that the coffee savvy of this new generation is far more impressive than any other. But seriously, just order a Mocha.
1 comment:
this is so true. it really is a starbucks generation now. when i was growing up there would be coffee, cream and sugar, rarely would there be all these choices. now even small cafes offer all these different choices. but it's a good thing because we never seem to look for just ordinary coffee anymore. i always order a latte. now plain coffee is too bitter for me.
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