When people find out I’m a coffee educator – I teach coffee at a university in Bogota, I wrote a book about specialty coffee in Colombia, and every week I teach visitors about why coffee in Colombia is so important to the country – they invariably ask me a question about coffee. It seems like everyone is filled with coffee questions they’ve never received an answer to, and they love to be face to face with an expert to get their itch for knowledge fulfilled.
I enjoy the challenge of the questions. As a person breathes in, getting ready to ask the question that has been weighing on their hearts, I feel a little rush of excitement. Another coffee question. Will it be hard to answer? I love the tough questions, which help me learn and grow in my own coffee knowledge. And I love even the easy ones, because I feel the little thrill of knowing I’ve helped someone advance another step in their coffee education.
What would you ask a Colombian Coffee Expert?
At Flavors of Bogota we get the same questions over and over on our Specialty Coffee Shop Tours. People from around the world learn about coffee with us, and over time we’ve seen a pattern develop. I’ve even learned to anticipate what question a person might ask based on their nationality, which influences what kind of coffee they drink, what’s popular in their country, and how deep their knowledge of coffee may be.
As the same questions surfaced again and again, we realized the sheer amount of people who are asking them and the vast curiosity there is about coffee. So we decided to create a new section on Flavors of Bogota devoted to those questions and answers. The Ask the Colombian Coffee Expert column will be a recurring feature this year. (If you have any questions please send them in and they may appear on this column.)
We will try to focus more on coffee questions relating directly to Colombia. However, we will sometimes stray off that path and address questions about coffee consumption or cultivation in Asia, Europe, North America or elsewhere.
Your questions answered by a Colombian coffee expert
Here are some of the questions we’ve already answered – just click on the title to read our answers.
Is there a guide to tasting specialty coffee in Colombia?
How do Colombians brew coffee?
Is it any different to taste a cup of coffee in Colombia?
Is Colombian coffee really better?
How should you order an espresso drink in Bogota?
What makes a specialty coffee shop in Colombia unforgettable?
How is coffee involved in providing hope for a better future in Colombia?
What happens at a coffee cupping in Colombia?
What do you think about animal poo coffee? (Yes, we get this question a lot!)
