There is so much more to discover about coffee. So go on an exploration and discover how much more flavor there is to experience. That is what barista Paul Tinhout urges us to do. Paul has been working as a barista for over ten years now, and he knows better than anyone how the love for coffee can grow. He found out how little people know about coffee and, above all, how much more there is to discover.
Ignorance
What struck Paul the most when he started working behind the bar at the Rijksmuseum was people's ignorance about coffee. Not only among consumers but also among those behind the bar. "We're just winging it," was his impression. And that's while coffee might be the most consumed hot drink we know. Just order a cup of joe or comfort. We order our coffee casually or very consciously because we need a pick-me-up.
Paul Tinhout: "What makes coffee so special to me? Everyone has an opinion about it. It's always the start of a good conversation; 'let's grab a cup'. But what exactly are people drinking? Very few people still know. Such a daily habit, something so self-evident while there's a big and very interesting world of coffee behind it. That's what's beautiful about coffee to me."
Do we really know the taste of coffee? And all the flavor sensations that can be found in coffee? Probably not. That's why it's good that there are more and more baristas in the Netherlands. And that the coffee culture in the Netherlands is growing!
Coffee culture in the Netherlands
Is there a coffee culture in the Netherlands? Yes, definitely, Paul thinks. Who hasn't grown up with an 'old-fashioned' pot of filter coffee? Incidentally, still a very good way of making coffee. Because, unlike coffee pads or cups, with filter coffee, you can determine how strong you want the coffee, for example. And you can use fresh beans. Absolutely a must! In the Randstad, drinking coffee outside the home is becoming more common. In the provinces, we still often enjoy that pot of filter coffee, just at home.
As long as it's hot
In the Netherlands, we are good followers when it comes to drinking coffee. We don't set trends, but we like to adopt them. From Australia, for example, or from the United States. There, a good coffee culture exists. The public is critical, and there's a lot of complex coffee available. Coffee with many flavor properties. In Australia, you don't go to your favorite coffee bar, but to your favorite barista. We're not there yet in the Netherlands, but Paul sees that the trends generally appear in the Netherlands within three to five years. The most important thing for the Dutch about coffee? That the coffee is hot. Incidentally, in the Netherlands, we make a real sport of latte art. Sometimes we're a bit too fanatical about it because the basis should primarily be good coffee. And not the other way around.
Making coffee is a skill
Just like wine, the origin of the beans matters, and coffee also has many different flavor sensations. The profession of a barista is truly a skill. Unlike a sommelier, a barista not only knows a lot about coffee but also makes the coffee themselves. After all, coffee is 'just' a semi-finished product, and the real coffee making is done by the barista. Therefore, the profession of a barista deserves a bit more recognition.
Paul's tips
How can you love coffee even more? Paul has a few tips. The most important tip? Buy your own beans and grind them fresh. Because not only do you know better what you're buying—where the beans come from, for example—but also how old the beans are. Crucial when it comes to tasty coffee. Furthermore, Paul invites us to go on a discovery journey. Discover which flavor suits you. And take the time to discover your taste. With wine, we usually know which grape we like or from which country the tastiest wine comes, but with coffee, we don't know that. That's a missed opportunity, according to Paul. Another tip from Paul; try your coffee pure. So leave out the milk and sugar, but discover the pure taste of coffee.
Already interested in learning the skills of the trade and discovering more about the taste of coffee? Then join our barista workshop. Bet the coffee will taste very different to you from then on?
