Espresso Italiano Champion 2018: Taiwanese professional wins the barista competition from the Italian Espresso National Institute
A 36-year old Taiwanese who has been in the coffee business for 18 years and is the owner of three coffee shops in Taipei: this is Chang Chung-Lun, the professional who won the Espresso Italiano Champion 2018 barista championship organised by the Italian Espresso National Institute (Inei), beating another thirteen baristas in the final phase of the competition hosted by the Mumac Academy between 26 and 28 November this year.
Now in its fifth year, the 2018 championship saw more than 350 baristas from eight countries compete with perfect espresso and cappuccino: Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan and Thailand, in a total of 39 qualifying competitions. "In any case, you are all winners, for your commitment and your passion – this is how Simona Colombo, Marketing Director of Gruppo Cimbali, addressed the competitors – With you being here today, you are honouring Italian espresso".
The event was also an opportunity to present the research "The styles of Italian espresso" by the International Institute of Coffee Tasters (Iiac). This scientific survey was presented by Luigi Odello who explained that thousands of espresso blends, not only Italian ones, were analysed to identify five sensory families in the country. "Italian espresso is an expression of our national culture with local expressions", commented Odello.
The final phase of the Espresso Italiano Champion 2018 was held at the Mumac Academy in Binasco (Milan), the training centre set up in 2014 thanks to the commitment of Gruppo Cimbali to develop the culture of coffee from producer to consumer. In a short time, the Mumac Academy has become a flagship for international training, from plantations to sensory analysis, from the selection of green beans to roasting, from the preparation of espresso to latte art.
The winners of the previous editions of the Espresso Italiano Champion competition were the Italian Filippo Mezzaro (2014), the Greek Giannis Magkanas (2015), the Korean Park Dae Hoon (2016) and the Italian Fabio Dotti (2017).
The video is available at:
