Umami Coffee
Campus Colombia Special Edition has started! 25 participants from Italy and
Germany, joined all together in Colombia, precisely in Armenia, in the
beautiful coffee plantations of Quindio region.
The first day
of campus took place in “Santa Lucia” plantation, managed by Moreno family,
owners of Caffè Quindio, a local roaster, which has 3 plantations and more than
30 bars all over Colombia. This year Caffè Quindio is a partner of Umami Coffee
Camp. Uniqueness of Umami format is the opportunity to gain fieldwork
experience directly in the plantations of the countries of origin, along with
training courses of the various modules of SCAE Coffee Diploma System. The
morning was spent picking the ripest and red cherries from the coffee plants.
The botanical species was Arabica and the varieties were Castillo, quite
widespread in Colombia, thanks to its resistance to diseases such as rust. The
participants then selected the ripest cherries from the less mature or defected
ones, resulting in a first and second choice selection. This latter will be
then depulped, dried and cupped, giving the opportunity to the participants to
grasp the sensory differences. To better
understand the everyday life of a coffee picker, the participants had a copious
lunch with a typical menu of coffee pickers: rice, chicken, beef or pork,
avocado, sweet potatoes and corn soup, accompanied by a drink made out of the
so called panela, or sugar cane.
Marco
Cremonese, master roaster, and SCAE authorized trainer for sensory and green
modules, emphasized: "It is a matter
of sharing different experiences to find a common point on the knowledge of
coffee. It is sharing and comparing experiences. This, I think, is the added
value of the training format Umami".
The second day
saw the participants in the finca "El Lagrado". This finca is
primarily used by the coffee growers committee for training to farmers. The
trainings consist of technical and scientific assistance to the producers,
giving them crucial insights on how to better manage the plantation as well as
the nursery. Therefore, the participants had first hand life in the
"coffee nursery", having the opportunity to witness the growth
process of a coffee plant, from the seed to the 18 months old plant. In
addition they had the chance to plant their own coffee plant, “customizing” it
with a name. The afternoon was the kick off for the SCAE Coffee Diploma system
lessons, held by a team of coffee trainers. Simone Guidi, trainer on sensory,
underlined the importance of the SCAE certifications:
"[...] The SCAE modules allow you to deepen your
knowledge on coffee, whether you are a neophyte or an expert, according to your
needs or preferences. Each module represents one of the areas of interest, divided
into foundation, intermediate and professional, allowing everyone to get an
important certification valid all around the world. "
Finca "La
Mina" hosted the participants in the third day of the camp. The land
stretches from 1400 to 1900 meters above sea level, with variety Castillo,
Colombia, Yellow Bourbon, Caturra and Geisha . The density of the coffee plants
ranges from 6000 to 4000 per hectare. The participants learnt about the
management of a coffee plantation, the different pruning methods, the cleaning
of a finca, etc. In addition, in the morning, the participants visited the
beneficio of the finca, witnessing the different phases and the coffee
processing operations. Feature of this finca is the possibility for coffee
pickers to earn bonuses, both in monetary terms and not, based on the amount of
green cherries that are found on a sample of two kilos of their total crop,
which is around 110-120 kilos per day (also according to the harvesting
season). Experiencing the various stages of coffee beans processing, the
participants got a complete picture of the work of a beneficio. After moving to
the structure used for the classes, participants continued their courses,
according to the modules of their choice.
Graziano Chessa,
Barista trainer, reflected on the benefits of such an experience: "[...] when the participants will
return to Europe, will surely have a different view on the quality of the cup
and will be able to increase it, especially in Italy, where the cup scores lower
quality standards. The fieldwork experience it is a chance to see how important
it is also the human aspect in assuring the quality level of the cup. They will
then be the ones carrying on the experience, sharing it to their employees,
customers, etc. "
The fourth day
of the Camp took place at Caravela Coffee, a coffee processing plant, where the
coffee in parchment, mostly processed through washed method is deparched,
selected with densimetric machines, drilled, destoned, and then manually or optical
selected, to eliminate all the defects that the coffee beans can present. The plant,
located in the region of Quindio processes about 100 containers per year. The
quality standard of the benefit is quite high; in fact, samples scoring below
80 points according to the SCAA cupping form and tolerance of defects to below
1% are not accepted. The shipping methods used are GrainPro or vacuum,
guaranteed by nitrogen. The participants then had the opportunity to experience
a cupping session with coffee coming mostly from Huila region. There were
several coffees, all of excellent quality, judged by all the participants and by
the team of experts formed by the trainers as well as by professional tasters
of Caravela Coffee itself. Participants are now ready to open a high quality roasting
once back in Europe or to raise the quality standards of the roasters they
already manage.
As pointed out
by one participant, who has worked for years in the world of roasting: "[...] today I ‘breathed’ the change,
the change starting right from the origin. The art of constantly seeking the
perfect cup becomes practice thanks to Caravela Coffee. As our work is to make
a connection between the agricultural world and the final consumer, through the
important work of the bartenders, I found in Caravela Coffee an ideal partner
with which to carry on research quality coffee being constantly in contact with
the producers. United in the mission and in practice. "
The fifth day is
little less demanding in terms of “schooling" but more is devoted to get
to know the work of Café Quindio in Colombia, and especially in the region of
Armenia. Special attention is given to their café format, which once again
reminds the refined philosophy and attention to details that characterizes
their work, promoting decisively the world of coffee quality, the people who
work and dedicate themselves to this world, resulting in a strong identity. The
possibility to meet this family company gave participants the opportunity to
discover the milestones of their work, a family that has offered for years and
focuses on quality: social responsibility, environmental responsibility, high
quality, promotion of coffee culture, creation work, adding value to coffee,
passion, dedication, certifications, innovation are words that often resorted
in their history and that continue to shape the future of cafe Quindio. Part of
the format Umami Camp is the contact and knowledge of the local culture that
first of all passes through relationships between people and… food! The SENA
(National Training Service), with the aim to invest in social and technical
development of Colombian workers, offering an integrated vocational training
for the incorporation and development of people in productive activities,
hosted the participants of the camp in their training rooms for chefs and chef
apprentices. Introduced in the Colombian kitchen, participants were challenged
to prepare a dish: chicken stuffed with corn and avocado, pork tenderloin with
herbs and coffee reduction, accompanied by a salad of lettuce, mango, strawberries
and caramelized onions with local potatoes flan.
A football match
Colombia vs Umami Team, ended the fifth day of the camp. #Not Only Coffee was
the accompanying slogan. One participant, who runs a roaster in Italy,
commented the experience with Cafe Quindio: "[...]
I have been very much impressed by the format they have created over the years,
and it is a starting point from which to take ideas and models, that can be
proposed in the Italian market. Their focal point is to present coffee in an
alternative way, focusing on merchandising, brand and design. Interesting is
the training they offer to their employees, with an high quality customer care.
Crucial is their interest in offering quality in the country of origin, with a
strong Colombian pride, which gives added value to the country. "
Quite impactful
has been the press conference, held in Armenia, at Cafe Quindio. Several
national and local newspapers, magazines devoted to coffee world and cultural
newspapers were present at the conference. The title given to the first edition
of the Umami Coffee Camp in Colombia was: came from the press conference for
this first edition of umami Coffee Camp in Colombia was: “First plan of quality
coffee education exportation in Colombia." The plan was welcomed very
positively and supported by local, regional and governmental institutions, with
a long-term plan that foresees four annual Camps in Quindio region.
Back to the
classes! The sixth day of the camp takes place entirely in the classrooms for the
different modules of the SCAE Coffee Diploma System. It is the day of the exams
for all participants: foundation, intermediate and professional examinations on
green coffee, roasting, sensory and bartender. A participant, who runs a bar
and a bakery in Italy, commented the Umami experience: "[...] I decided to take part to the Umami Camp as it was one of
my desires, both professionally and humanly speaking. I always wished to visit
the countries of origin of coffee, have a contact with the coffee plantations
and the different types of coffee processing to better understand the various
stages of the supply chain. I chose Umami since I had heard about its trainers
positively I had met them personally in coffee ferry. The SCAE Coffee Diploma
System certifications will help me to have a more complete picture of the world
of coffee, with the ability to offer a service, professionalism and a high quality
preparation for the clients of my bar. "
The last day of
umami Coffee Camp was devoted to tourism and relax. Interesting was the visit
to the Parque Del Café. The latter is the Coffee National Park, a Colombian
theme park located in the Quindio region, founded by the National Federation of
Coffee Producers of Colombia and the Departmental Committee of Coffee Producers
of Quindio. The park's main goal is to show, in a natural frame and entertainment
environment, the development generated by the coffee in Colombia, paying
tribute to the tenacity and strength of Colombian coffee producers. It is a mix
of cultural attractions and entertainment, with the opportunity to deepen the
culture of Colombia through the various museums present. Interesting for the
participants of the camp was the encounter with the coffee botanical variety of
Liberica, very rare, long-lived, robust and lush that can reach 18 meters in
height, with fruits and seeds twice big those of Arabica, and also more
resistant to parasites attacks.
Andrej Godina, one
of the leading experts of sensory at Italian and European level and member of
the sensory module Committee of the international SCAE and president of Umami
Area, established in June 2015, comments on the path that Umami Area is going
through: "[…] the association Umami Area in such a short
time has helped and boosted the spread of the culture of quality coffee in
Italy, with significant and concrete changes. It has offered trainings to more
than one hundred professionals, with three international travels to the coffee
plantations, four international collaboration agreements and two projects
funded by the European Union." In July, for the first time worldwide,
Umami Area will offer a format dedicated exclusively to coffee trainers, to
create new jobs and professionalize those who already work in the industry.
"What I see - adds Godina,
referring to Umami Area - is a container
and a platform where people who want to realize their dreams in the field of
specialty coffees can gather, finding a place for sharing and express
themselves, to realize passions and possibly doing business. The last frontier
is the purchase of two plantations in Honduras and Colombia, with purely social
aims, quality and environmental care."
Two similar and
different projects: in Honduras, in Capucas, the plantation project will focus
on reforestation, exclusive production of specialty coffee, experimentation with
new botanical species, with a particular focus on the community living within
the Celaque Nation Park, UNESCO heritage; in Colombia, the project aims to
train local farmers, to help young people find a place within the production of
coffee, thanks to the support of Caravela Coffee.
Andrej Godina
concludes: "So far, Umami encloses
in a single container the formation of the SCAE Coffee Diploma System, with 9 trainers participating in training
activities. It is the only global reality where, in one formative experience,
the participants can choose among the 5 SCAE training modules."
www.umamiarea.com
info@umamiarea.com
