Expressionist view of culinary creativity: A culinary theory exercised with specialty coffee

Barista Diary: An autoethnography studying the operational experience of third-wave coffee shop baristas

“…478-479). Instead, Ott (2020) implies that a "true" barista is one who appreciates the manual craftsmanship that goes into the brew process: one embraces coffeemaking as a form of artistry (Laurier, 2013;Lee, 2021a;Parrish, 2020). Adopting Ott's definition of a "true" barista, we define a barista as an F&B operative in the third-wave coffee shop industry who is primarily responsible for the crafting and serving of specialty coffee beverages.…”

“…Adopting Ott's definition of a "true" barista, we define a barista as an F&B operative in the third-wave coffee shop industry who is primarily responsible for the crafting and serving of specialty coffee beverages. We focus on baristas working in the artisanal sector of the coffee shop industry, otherwise known as the third-wave coffee market, where one requires greater coffee knowledge and technical skills, serves premium coffee known as specialty coffee, and takes pride in coffeemaking as a serious form of craftsmanship (Knox, 2016(Knox, , 2019Laurier, 2013;Lee, 2021a;Ott, 2020;Parrish, 2020). As we align ourselves with this definition, two additional terms must be defined: operative and third-wave.…”

“…Rothgeb calls the third wave a reaction from the artisanal barista community that demanded better quality and higher artisanal valued coffee (Rothgeb/Skeie, 2003). Lee (2021a) describes the third-wave movement as a serious artisanal movement, signifying a movement away from coffee as a mass commodity and chain offering, and towards a celebration of coffee as agriculture, culture, craft, and expression. It marks a period in which coffee shops became a space of gastronomic experiences, giving rise to the barista as a respected profession and specialty coffee as a product of artisanal craftsmanship.…”

“…We calculate all variables of our brew. From the coffee-to-water ratio to the grind size of our coffee grounds, each variable plays a methodical role in the brew process, affecting the final brew (Hoffman, 2018;Lee, 2021a). To dial in an espresso is to recognize each methodical step and variable when pulling an espresso shot.…”

“…Often analogized as "the bartenders of the coffee shop," baristas are regarded as one of the more creative professions in the hospitality industry, earning the title of "connoisseurs" in the specialty coffee context (Ott, 2020). Working as a barista is often associated as a "cool job" among society's youth, as the job entails the flair and swagger of latte art making (Hsu & Chen, 2021), eclecticism in flavor pairings and brewing mechanics (Lee, 2021a), glamor of working with stylish and sophisticated espresso machines and equipment (Manzo, 2014), and a contemporary work environment that blurs work and home in a unique social space (Ferreira et al, 2021;Waxman, 2006). A barista is no ordinary hospitality profession, but one with unique social and cultural capital (Ott, 2020).…”