The Beautiful Life of Coffee

The Università del Caffè (University of Coffee) presents a spectacular 180-day-long journey of discovery, revealing all of the energy and vitality of coffee, from plant to cup and from bean to palate.

1. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE OF COFFEE – The Walking Tour
La meravigliosa vita del caffè

Every day, from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. throughout the entire Expo 2015, go on a fantastic tour through the wonders of coffee, divided in four sections and with more than 1,250 tableaux.
Along the way you’ll see jute sacks, antique yet still-working espresso machines, coffee plants, famous photographs and fragrant bean roasters, farming and processing, voyages and the selection process, roasting and packing... all of the aromas and tastes of what – with the exception of water – is the world’s most widely-consumed beverage.

 

2. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE OF COFFEE – Live stories
La meravigliosa vita del caffè – Le storie
At the Cluster events area, 33 days of things to see on two weekends each month – from May to October – to tell seven different stories from the life of coffee.
The beauty of coffee, the locations where it grows, and the people who cultivate it; all of the things that revolve around coffee and everything that coffee has inspired in the men and women who have drunk it over its centuries-long history...

3. THE BEAUTIFUL IDEAS OF COFFEE – Preparations and recipes
Le meravigliose idee del caffè – Le ricette e le preparazioni

At the Cluster events area, 33 days of things to see on two weekends each month – from May to October – to learn how to make coffee-based preparations and recipes.
Find out about the tastes, aromas and flavours of coffee-based preparations; learn all about traditional, surprising and groundbreaking techniques, all of which start simply with a cup of coffee. Make them at home too!

In detail:

2. THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE OF COFFEE – Live stories
La meravigliosa vita del caffè – Le storie
Experts from the University of Coffee share seven stories in words and pictures, revealing every aspect of the beautiful life that coffee leads.

1. The Beautiful Colours of Coffee
I meravigliosi colori del caffè
Discover coffee’s amazing powers of transformation and the myriad colours it takes on over the course of its life.

A Biography in Colours.

  1. Green – The colour of the plant, the plantations where it grows, and its leaves.
  2. White – The colour of a delicate little flower that opens up every time it is moistened by the rain.
  3. Red and yellow – The colour of the cherry-like coffee berry which holds two precious beans.
  4. Light green – The colour of the raw bean that is harvested and processed in a far-off tropical land before travelling across the world to us.
  5. Dark brown – The colour of the coffee bean after roasting; as well as improving aesthetically, it also takes on an intense fragrance.
  6. Chestnut brown – The colour of the cream that tops a perfect espresso, a treasure trove of aroma and flavour.
  7. Black – The colour of mystery, encompassing the prodigious virtues that coffee awakens in all those who enjoy it.

2. The Beautiful People of Coffee
Le meravigliose persone del caffè
Over course of its journey, coffee passes through many, many different hands. The supply chain is a relay race: coffee is lavished with care and dedication at every step of this human chain, finishing with a flourish on our palate as we savour its taste. Quality assured.

A Photo Album.

  1. Sowers and reapers – The people who tend coffee when still a seedling, encouraging it to grow and strengthen while at the same time respecting the environment.
  2. Selectors – The people who choose only the best beans.
  3. Shippers and travellers – The people who make sure that coffee reaches us in tiptop condition.
  4. Roasters – The people who infuse coffee with its wondrous aromatic spectrum.
  5. Packagers – The people who pack and seal coffee for distribution.
  6. Preparers – The people who transform coffee into a delicious, energy-giving beverage.
  7. Tasters – The people who sip the beverage and are inspired by its energy for life.

3. The Beautiful Places of Coffee
I meravigliosi luoghi del caffè
Coffee is at home in every corner of the globe; it is a true world traveller. Coffee has picked up something from every place it has journeyed and brought back a souvenir from every country. We get to taste the magnificent routes it has travelled in its aromas and flavours.

An Atlas of Fragrances.

  1. Its place of birth: Its origins in Ethiopia and spread through the Middle East. Its arrival in Europe and journeys to the four corners of the globe.
  2. The landscapes: The uplands and climatic conditions where coffee grows best.
  3. The fields: Coffee-producing countries, their techniques and traditions.
  4. The terroir: Where it grows and the aromas it emits.
  5. The ports: Where it lands in coffee-loving, coffee-drinking nations.
  6. Protection: Packaging and maturation; coffee improves with age.
  7. The shrine: The coffee bar, home to the coffee experience and taste.

4. The Beautiful Senses of Coffee
I meravigliosi sensi del caffè
Coffee delights all of our senses and more. It is an experience that stimulates the intellect and comes with a whole social dimension. In other words, it is a lot like happiness.

Humans: a diagram.

  1. Sight
  2. Smell
  3. Taste
  4. Touch
  5. Hearing
  6. Intellect
  7. Social dimension

5. The Beautiful Habits of Coffee
Le meravigliose abitudini del caffè
Coffee traverses the centuries and long distances to bring millions of people together. In every place and in every age, people have created habits, traditions and rituals around their cup of coffee.

Modern coffee etiquette

  1. How much we drink: The market for coffee.
  2. How we drink it: Consumption habits in different countries.
  3. Where it is drunk: Coffee-producing and coffee-drinking nations.
  4. How it’s made: Coffee preparation techniques.
  5. How it was once made: The history of coffee preparation.
  6. How much is too much: Caffeine.
  7. How will coffee be drunk in future? New preparations.

6. The Beautiful Future of Coffee (this course and its content are currently being confirmed and validated)
Coffee can be a driver of a new and positive economy.

An almanac of the day after

  1. Faith in the future
  2. The right to happiness
  3. Collective intelligence
  4. Altruism – Attali
  5. Wealth redistribution – cosmopolitanism
  6. The second coffee (r)evolution
  7. From EXPO onwards

7. The Beautiful Molecules of Coffee
Le meravigliose molecole del caffè
One of the reasons why coffee has been so popular throughout history is partly down to the rather mysterious effects it has on our bodies. This is above all down to its most famous molecule: caffeine.

A microscope slide.

  1. Caffeine: one of the world’s best-studied substances
  2. Not just coffee: the other products
  3. Drink coffee, imbibe caffeine
  4. No thanks, coffee puts me on edge
  5. How much coffee can I drink?
  6. Comparing consumption habits.
  7. Myths and urban legends

 

8. The Beautiful Ideas of Coffee – Preparations and recipes
La meravigliose idee del caffè – Le preparazioni e le ricette
After water, coffee is the world’s most consumed beverage... But how do people drink it? From espresso to other preparations and more creative interpretations, Master Baristas from the Università del Caffè give two special seminars on how to make delicious coffee, indeed, lots of different delicious coffees...

9. The Beautiful Preparations of Coffee
Le meravigliose preparazioni del caffè
People drink coffee in so many different ways around the world: every culture has its favourite brew, around which it has woven habits, customs and traditions. Master Baristas from the Università del Caffè share techniques for preparing the most popular coffee-based drinks so that you can make them at home.

  1. Espresso
  2. The main techniques – infusion and percolation
  3. Turkish coffee
  4. French press
  5. Filter coffee
  6. Neapolitan
  7. Moka

10. The Beautiful Recipes of Coffee
Le meravigliose ricette del caffè
Coffee is also an ingredient in many delicious creations, from classics like cappuccino that are famous around the world to more unusual creations based on cold coffee. The Master Baristas will demonstrate how to make a number of delicious coffee-based recipes. You’ll be able to make them at home too.