Spilling the beans: A look at coffee culture

 

By Abbi Mitchell-Morley

 

Coffee making becomes art in Macao as the city finds its place amongst new and old world coffee culture powerhouses, like Italy and Australia.

Play a little game of word association with the phrase “coffee culture” and watch as people swarm to attach the likes of Starbucks and Pacific Coffee to the social phenomenon. Whilst a few years ago this might have been true, the rising millennial subcultures and their alternative lifestyles have redefined the coffee experience. In the past we praised chain coffee houses for the ease and convenience with which coffee needs were met. Nowadays it is all about craftsmanship; Artisanal is the epitome, and with good reason.

Hidden away in the winding roads of Macao’s St. Lawrence Parish is the quaint yet elegant Terra coffeehouse. Terra is just one example of a blossoming handful of coffee shops in Macao adapting the artisanal approach to coffee.

It is here I meet Zack Salonga, a 25-year-old self-professed coffee connoisseur who travels between Hong Kong and Macao to partake in the coffee cultures. “Modern trends have shifted the perspective of coffee,” says Salonga, “today, coffee is seen as something more than just a morning beverage. There is more elegance in it. It sits on a level with wine.”

As Salonga speaks one can’t help but observe the entire experience that coffee has become, the baristas exhibit a profound passion and patience for their art form, often training for decades. Terra’s menu is a short collection of beverages that uses locally roasted coffee beans to “present coffee as the star, rather than placing it in a supporting role,” as Salonga so eloquently puts it during our chat.

Salonga continues to explain to me that the roots of coffee culture lie in Italy but one notable country that has breathed new life into the art of the espresso is Australia; “The coffee movement really took off down under, and because of a lot of the business ties to Hong Kong it bled into Southeast Asia,” he says. The 25-year-old, who has worked in the food and beverage industry for seven years, comments that “as the contemporary twenty-something rise into a position of spending power they bring with them a shift in trends. This is apparent in everything from interior design, fashion, food, and of course coffee.”

Salonga mentions that there is a great divide when it comes to recognizing coffee culture, “Many people don’t understand the movement,” he explains, “they don’t see the differences between a coffee from Starbucks and a coffee from a place like Terra. I think it’s a shame, because there is a real discipline and sense of artistry that goes into this,” he mentions, gesturing to the group of baristas behind the counter.

On a final note Salonga says, “It’s all a performance, an experience for all senses, that’s what modern coffee culture is all about; Creating an experience of coffee, but not just any coffee – coffee with quality.” Before we leave we sit sipping our expertly crafted espressos, basking in the sound of shots being pulled and soft jazz humming away in the background. It is in this moment that it finally comes to me, this is coffee culture.