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Thick surface, golden crema, strong and mellow with a strong sweet aftertaste. As the carbon dioxide in the crema is released, the alluring volatile aromatic substances follow along. Espresso has an irresistible charm. Ordering an espresso while standing at the bar is a sign of professionalism and quality, and it can also bring you into the rich aromatic world of coffee. So, how should we drink espresso?

Espresso's composition

The composition of a cup of espresso is divided into 3 parts: crema, body, and heart.

The crema of espresso is formed when freshly roasted coffee is ground extremely fine and extracted under pressure as high as 9 bar. When hot water passes through the coffee puck, the carbon dioxide in the coffee grounds is subjected to such great pressure that the water becomes supersaturated with carbon dioxide; the carbon dioxide has no way to be released and directly dissolves into the coffee liquid. The high pressure also forces the oils contained in the coffee to separate from the coffee puck, and they are thus carried out by the hot water. 

Simply put, crema is the coffee's own oils, under a sealed and pressurized environment, fusing with carbon dioxide and then being squeezed out by water, forming an oily foam with a delicate and smooth mouthfeel.

The body of espresso has the richest, most delicious flavor and aroma in espresso, and you will taste the soft part of the coffee. The softness of a cup of espresso is the sum of the tactile characteristics we perceive: roundness, smoothness, viscosity, and fluidity.

The heart of espresso is the layer below the body of the espresso, and its color is close to black. The heart of espresso is bitterness, which balances the sweetness and aroma of the two layers above.

How do you make a delicious espresso?

Front Street Coffee believes that although a good cup of espresso tastes strong, it will not have a burnt bitter taste. The crema is delicate and smooth, the overall mouthfeel is mellow and clean, and there will be an obvious sweet aftertaste at the end.

As mentioned above, the crema of espresso needs carbon dioxide to form it, and only freshly roasted medium-dark roasted coffee beans will have abundant carbon dioxide. As coffee beans rest longer after roasting, due to continuous structural changes, more carbon dioxide will be stored inside the beans.

But it is not the case that the more carbon dioxide there is, the better the espresso will taste. Too much carbon dioxide will make the crema of the espresso rough in mouthfeel, and it will also affect the release of soluble substances during extraction. All coffee beans sold by Front Street Coffee are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed, 100% freshly roasted.

However, if what you bought is medium-dark roasted espresso coffee beans, then further resting is needed. Front Street Coffee recommends that after purchasing espresso coffee beans, you should leave the original packaging unopened and let it sit until the 7th day after the roast completion date before starting to use it. During this period, the coffee beans will release carbon dioxide on their own and discharge it through the one-way exhaust valve on the packaging. Releasing an appropriate amount of carbon dioxide helps achieve more stable extraction.

How is espresso extracted?

According to the Specialty Coffee Association SCA standards, use 7-9 grams (double: 14-18 grams) of coffee grounds to extract 25-35g of coffee liquid in 20-30 seconds, with extraction pressure at 9-10 bar and water temperature at 90-96°C. Each coffee shop will adjust up or down according to the coffee beans and equipment used.

Front Street Coffee stores use "Sunflower Warm Sun Blend Coffee Beans", extracting 38g of coffee liquid from 19.8g of extremely finely ground coffee with pressure boost, with an extraction time of about 28-32 seconds. The espresso shows vanilla cream-like smoothness, slight berry sweetness and acidity, fermented wine aroma, and the sweet fragrance of hazelnut caramel.

For friends who like mellow and aromatic coffee, Front Street Classic Espresso Blend is recommended. This is a recipe composed of three origins: Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam, using a deep roast, which can maximize the coffee's mellow aroma and also make it easy for everyone to extract rich and dense coffee crema. It is very suitable whether for making an Americano diluted with water or a latte paired with milk, and it can be purchased at the Front Street Taobao store or the Front Street Tmall flagship store.

How do you drink espresso?

Espresso cannot be like pour-over coffee, where you can distinguish different flavors at different stages of high, medium, and low temperature. After all, a serving of espresso is only a dozen or twenty grams, and before it reaches low temperature it is already finished~ Secondly, because extracting espresso uses extremely finely ground coffee under high temperature and 9 bar pressure to quickly extract high-concentration coffee, the taste is strong and stimulates the taste buds in the mouth.

As coffee has gradually become more specialty-oriented, the quality of coffee beans and the quality of coffee have also greatly improved in recent years. Nowadays, when people drink espresso, besides taking in caffeine, they also have more requirements for the coffee's flavor. Those strong and bitter espressos have already become "outdated." People who drink espresso pay more attention to the aroma, mouthfeel, and finish of the cup.

As long as the coffee beans are of good quality, freshly roasted, and reasonably extracted, drinking espresso is also a qualitatively enjoyable thing. Before tasting, we first take a sip of ice water to clean the mouth and cause the muscles on the surface of the tongue to contract slightly. After the barista serves the espresso, you can stir the coffee with a spoon to make it more uniform overall. Then taste it in three sips. The first sip is to taste the flavor within, the second sip to feel its mellowness, and the third sip to feel the coffee's sweet aftertaste and finish.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.