As coffee has gradually become more widely recognized, specialty coffee promotion in cafés has emerged in response, and we too have begun tracing things back to their roots—we have come to treat coffee as culture. The rise of specialty pour-over coffee undoubtedly reflects the demands of the market and the needs that cafés have identified. Café counters have also begun to lower their "status," no longer featuring the early design of a bar raised a foot high. [more…]

Coffee today is no longer just a "functional drink" used to wake you up; it is also a medium that holds a wealth of experiences. Thanks to the spread of the concept of specialty coffee, which has brought about a leap in coffee quality, we can now taste the terroir of different places through a single small cup of coffee. For example, [more…]

"This coffee has a rich fruity profile, with notes of citrus, lemon, oolong tea, and jasmine!!!" For someone who has just been introduced to specialty coffee, this might sound unbelievable—how can you taste so many flavors in one cup of coffee! (Are they just making it up?) In this installment of Barista Growth Diary, we'll share a little [more…]

“How do you taste citrus in coffee?” Quite a few friends say they envy baristas for being able to casually name the specific flavors in coffee. Some friends also say, I can taste that the coffee is acidic, but that’s far from the citrus you’re talking about. Still others say flavors are all just nonsense. Front Street, in its daily online [more…]

Many customers have told Front Street Coffee that they actually can't taste the flavors in coffee, and even after watching many coffee tasting tutorials, they only "understand it while watching, but don't know where to start when it comes to actually doing it." If this sounds like you, you might want to take a look at some of Front Street Coffee's insights on coffee tasting. Tasting coffee ≠ describing flavors. Many [more…]

Everyone's demand for coffee is growing stronger by the day, with global coffee bean production reaching as high as 8.4 billion kilograms annually—an astonishing output. When it comes to coffee, Front Street believes that beyond variety, origin, and cultivation methods, there is another important process that influences coffee flavor: coffee bean processing methods. Different processing methods for coffee beans [more…]

On the journey of learning about specialty coffee, I believe everyone is especially impressed by a colorful ring. It is the SCAA 2016 Coffee Flavor Wheel that has tormented you countless times. Of course, this is already a "simplified" version; the first edition of the flavor wheel in 1995 had two, one on the front. [more…]

A large part of the reason the coffee flavor wheel was created was to meet the tasting standards that emerged after coffee became more specialty-oriented. It also drew on wine tasting and cupping, gradually evolving from vague, general flavor descriptions into a detailed, logical flavor wheel. The first version of the coffee flavor wheel was released in 1995, [more…]

随着咖啡文化在国内日益普及，越来越多的人投身咖啡师这一职业。咖啡师不仅是饮品的制作者，更是生活美学与匠人精神的践行者。然而，面对琳琅满目的国际认证体系，许多从业者常常感到困惑：究竟有哪些权威的咖啡资格证书值得考取？本文将系统梳理当前主流的几大国际咖啡认证机构——包括美国SCAA、欧洲SCAE、英国City & Guilds以及意大利IIAC——及其对应的课程与资质要求，帮助咖啡师理清职业进阶路径，找到适合自己的认证方向。 [more…]

After years of development, specialty coffee has formed a scientific system. From cultivation and processing at the green bean stage, to roasting, and then to brewing and tasting, there is a very complete body of knowledge. The improvement of green bean quality, roasting, and brewing quality ultimately serves to give us a better experience when tasting coffee. [more…]

If you want to learn how to brew coffee, you must first learn how to drink coffee. Of course, "learning to drink coffee" here does not mean being able to describe gorgeous flavor notes; it is more about being able to judge whether a cup of coffee is good or bad—that is, whether it tastes good or not. Whether a coffee tastes good or not, subjectively and objectively, depends to a fairly large extent on personal preference. [more…]

A deep understanding of the essence of crema will be of great help to baristas in making a delicious espresso. Today, the instructor of the Chongqing Barista Coffee Training Course will give you a detailed analysis of crema to help you understand espresso and improve your coffee-making skills. In searching for a cup that is not bitter and has excellent flavor, a rich [more…]

Professional barista exchange, please follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Many friends have asked Front Street's baristas: "Can you really taste so many flavors in the beans? How do you taste them?" First, this is about personal sensory perception. As everyone grows up, [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow: Front Street Coffee (Frontsteet Coffee). Cold brew coffee is so popular for one reason: whether in a coffee shop or at home, its brewing method is extremely simple. Another reason is the flavor that cold brew coffee delivers, which has not only won over many coffee connoisseurs [more…]

Without adding sugar or milk, how to hand-brew a delicious and distinctive cup of coffee is a difficult challenge for many enthusiasts just starting out in coffee. Pour too much water and the coffee will be weak; pour too little and it will be very strong and harsh on the throat. Therefore, you must pay attention to the coffee-to-water ratio. So exactly how much water should be used to brew a cup of coffee? The coffee-to-water ratio is probably what every [more…]

Many friends have asked Front Street Coffee, "How exactly do you make your iced Americano? It's so delicious!" As a staple on coffee shop menus, the Americano tastes a little different at every coffee shop. So Front Street Coffee is going to share our Americano recipe with everyone. The origin of Americano [more…]

In the 2026 Best of Panama natural Geisha category, a lot from Finca Lérida took the championship with a score of 95.63, bringing this century-old estate in Boquete back into the spotlight. This edition featured 102 competing lots and 46 judges, [more…]

Malaysia's specialty coffee culture is undergoing a profound transformation. From Kuala Lumpur to Penang and then to Johor Bahru, a growing number of passionate coffee professionals are driving a shift from traditional white coffee to specialty coffee. This article explores in depth the development of Malaysia's specialty coffee scene, from specialty coffee's initial entry into the market in 2010 to today's proliferation of independent roasting workshops and coffee classrooms. We interviewed several industry pioneers, including Joey Mah, Michael Wilson, Cheryl Lee, and others, who shared how they have advanced the upgrading of the entire industry by educating consumers, improving roasting techniques, and enhancing customer service. At the same time, the article also focuses on the development of key cities such as Penang and Johor Bahru, as well as the efforts of institutions like the Asian Barista Guild in coffee education. For coffee lovers, this is a complete picture for understanding the changes in Malaysia's coffee culture. [more…]

Kenyan coffee is regarded by the global specialty coffee community as the "benchmark of Africa" for its powerful acidity, full-bodied tartaric acid, and distinctive blackcurrant flavor. This article takes the two major producing regions of Nyeri and Thika as its starting point to provide an in-depth analysis of the ins and outs of Kenyan coffee. [more…]

想进入精品咖啡行业，SCA认证是很多人绕不开的话题。它由SCAA与SCAE两大协会合并而成，证书全球通用。SCA咖啡师资格证涵盖咖啡基础知识、意式咖啡师、手冲冲煮、感官杯测、烘焙与生豆六大模块，证书分为初中高三个等级。初级考试相对简单，中级可跳过初级直接报考，但高级必须先取得中级证书。考取认证是否意味着更高薪资？课程到底值不值得上？本文将逐一梳理SCA认证的等级路径、适合人群与实际价值，帮助咖啡爱好者做出理性判断。 [more…]