Coffee 101 Seminar at Le Bistro

Coffee has been one of my favorite beverages. I just love the aroma of coffee. It doesn't just perk me up but it makes me feel good. Last November 17, 2009 (Tuesday), I had an opportune time to attend the Coffee 101 seminar conducted by Chit Juan, a coffee advocate and Philippine Coffee Board Co-Chair. The seminar was held at Le Bistro, a restaurant cum coffee shop that serves fine dining cuisine, located at Fraser Place, Valero St., Salcedo Village in Makati City.

Le Bistro prepares delicious food like salad, sandwich, pasta, etc. Aside from being a wifi hot spot, you can also hold meetings and Christmas parties at Le Bistro. It also holds branches at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 Arrival Area and Terminal 3 Arrival Area. You can make reservations or check the website for more info. 

I learned many things I never knew about coffee - the historical background, the different types of coffee beans, the harvesting, sorting, preparation, packaging, the myths & benefits, the countries that export coffee in the world. I have never imagined how difficult it is for farmers to harvest coffee because of its very delicate and tedious process of sorting the perfect beans before coffee reaches our cup to enjoy.

Coffee grows in fifty-three (53) countries encircling the entire globe around the equator, thus the "Coffee Belt" derived its name. Buy Philippine coffee because it is one of the sought-after coffees in the world - one of which is our very own Kapeng Barako. But the Top 5 countries that export coffee in the world are (in order): (1) Brazil, (2) Vietnam, (3) Colombia, (4) Indonesia, & (5) India. Three countries in the Top 5 list are from Asia. We are just so lucky that our country belongs to the tropic region and we have the privilege to grow our own coffee. 

I, together with my friends, also had an opportunity to prepare our own coffee with the assistance of Angelo Torres, the manager and barista trainer of Le Bistro. Using the espresso machine, he helped me prepare my capuccino with a touch of honey. It was an awesome hands-on experience and the the knowledge we have gained was truly terrific! After attending the seminar-workshop, you will see coffee in a totally different way.

The Philippine Coffee Board (PCB) offers coffee lovers and business enthusiasts with seminars and trainings to equip you with the different aspects of skills and knowledge related to coffee: Basic Barista Training, Coffee 101 with Barista 101, etc. You can check the full details & monthly schedules of these events at Philippine Coffee Board website.

The PCB helps and supports the small-scale farmers in the Philippines. For every coffee we buy from PCB projects, we are helping our farmers grow our own coffee here in the country. Alongside with this advocacy is ECHOstore that makes products are eco-friendly, non-toxic, natural or organic and biodegradable. These are all-natural, meaning that all products contain no harmful chemicals. All products sold at the ECHOstore also help marginalized communities in the Philippines. Most of these communities are cooperatives engaged in fair trade practices and livelihood programs. Buy Christmas gift baskets at ECHOstore.

Please check out all the available products and Christmas gift basket packages at their website. 

ECHOstore has two (2) branches: 

(1) Serendra - G/F Serendra Piazza, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Tel #: (632) 901.3485.

(2) Podium - Gorund Level, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Tel #: (632) 470.2688.