By Dave Gooselink
Coffee is one of the world's most popular drinks - around two billion cups are consumed every day.
But Mexican coffee guru Mario Fernandez says no two cups are the same, and everyone's tastes are different.
“Each culture consumes coffee in a different way. We don't have flat whites in the whole world you know,” he says.
He's no fan of the Kiwi favourite, describing flat whites as "a good way to drink milk".
Mr Fernandez insists coffee should be drunk without milk or sugar, to capture the true flavour.
Like wine, the flavour of coffee changes from farm to farm, and year to year.
But good beans are only as good as the final step.
“Because you brew coffee at home, so you ultimately can alter the quality of coffee. You just uncork the bottle of wine, and that's it,” says Mr Fernandez.
Budding coffee connoisseurs at Dunedin’s International Science Festival were asked to compare beans from different regions, different species, and with different processes.
Otago Polytech executive chef Mark Lane was tasked with cooking eight desserts, to complement the flavours of the eight brews on offer.
“The coffees I tried with Mario, it was a real eye-opener actually just to the subtlety of the flavours and the depth of flavour that comes from just black coffee without sugar,” he says.
Those attending the course learned there's more to coffee than just a caffeine hit. And forget what mum told you – slurping your coffee isn't rude, it's what the professionals do!
“You send the little droplets of coffee to the back of your palate, and it's easier for you to perceive the flavour,” says Mr Fernandez.
3 News