The preparation of any kind of food or drink is nothing short of an art. It demands patience, knowledge and exemplary prowess to win the hearts of people with your culinary preparations.
Realizing the endeavor that goes into churning out even a simple cup of coffee to match up to countless palates around the world, the World Barista Championship (WBC) has been created. The championship brings together best barista talent from around the world. Those contending for the title of ‘barista’ or supreme coffee maker are required to prepare twelve coffee brews. These include four espresso, four cappuccino and four signature drinks to be judged by a panel of four judges. The judges base their decision on attributes such as taste, aroma and presentation of each of the brews. The championship is divided into two rounds. The first or preliminary round is followed by a second round, which will feature only the top six competitors.
Scandinavian countries have, often dominated this competition that was created in Norway. Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) are the owners and organizers of this exceptional competition.
The 2007 World Barista Championship was held in Tokyo over a period of three days. James Hoffman, a Briton excelled over 44 participants from six nations to win the prestigious championship. Further, he won the award for the best signature drink of the 2007 at the competition. His signature drink comprised a biscotti flavored concoction and a tobacco mix blended with his superb espresso.
In addition, at the 2007 WBC, Heather Perry from the United States of America secured 2nd place and his espresso preparation was recognized as the best among the top six competitors. Carl Sara from New Zealand had to be happy with a 3rd place at the contest. The 4th place was claimed by Japanese barista Miyuki Miyamae who bagged an award for coming up with the best cappuccino at the contest. Anna Kaeppeli of Switzerland secured 5th place at the competition. Brazilian barista Silvia Magalhaes had to settle for the 6th place at the 2007 WBC.
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Source: Spluch, Wikipedia
