What is Espresso? It is the best way to obtain from knowledgeably roasted coffee beans all the pleasure that they are able to give. More practically, espresso is the drink-in-a-cup obtained by forcing adequately pressurised water through coffee powder. Espresso coffee should not contain any additive or flavouring and should be free of any artificially added water. What is the Espresso Italiano Certificato? It is the drink-in-a-cup conforming to the strict production specifications issued by the Italian Espresso National Institute and approved by a third-party Body operating in conformity with ISO standard 45011, and particularly the Csqa certificate n.214-24 September 1999. It is mandatory for certified Italian espresso to be made from a blend of roasted grains of different origin, ground on the spot and treated in the machine so as to provide the drink with a well defined organooleptic profile, identified and controlled by the scientific rules of sensory analysis. What are the sensory characteristics of the … certified Espresso Italiano? The sensory characteristics of Espresso Italiano are those set forth by the technical specifications for the sensory quality of the Espresso Italiano marked coffee. More precisely, Espresso Italiano in the cup and ready for consumption, must have a well defined sensory profile. How was it possible to define sensory characteristics? The decision on the quality of any product is - silently – pronounced by the consumer. To understand what customers expect when they order an espresso, the Istituto Internazionale Assaggiatori Caffè, with the technical assistance of the Centro Studi e Formazione Assaggiatori, carried out thousands of consumer tests and laboratory tests to define what objective and measurable characteristics belong to the preferred types of espresso. These characteristics were then codified, along with the method to determine them. How to determine whether the sensory characteristics conform to the certified profile? Through a panel of expert tasters that carry out sensory analysis individually on the proper card called Trialcard Espresso Italiano. Data obtained from tasting is processed through special statistical tools that verify the reliability of the outcomes and judges. Why certify the sensory quality of Espresso Italiano? Today, Espresso is one of the most successful expression of “made in Italy” in the food and drink sector, but this is exactly the reason why so often its name is misused to identify products that are not up to tradition and do not meet consumers’ expectations. Certification of the sensory quality has enabled the producers of blends and equipment to establish a new contract with the end user and a commitment to comply with certain requirements under the control of a watchdog: the Certifying Body. What are the contributing factors to obtain Espresso Italiano? Espresso Italiano must be obtained from a certified blend, using certified equipment (machine and grinder-dispenser) and a licensed facility manager. If even just one of these elements is missing, espresso cannot be said to comply with the requirements set forth by the specification. |
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