The Federal Institute of Machado and the Coffee Quality Contests
New Lucca Menu by Celso and Gabriela Freire
setembro 30, 2017
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setembro 30, 2017
The Federal Institute of Machado was traditionally the precursor in the adoption and teaching of concepts, techniques and practices of everything that refers to specialty coffees. Teacher Leandro Paiva is responsible for this academic movement in the area of Coffee Industry and Coffee Quality. The courses offered to students range from cultivation, harvesting, processing, roasting, tasting and brewing techniques. The Department of Industry and Quality has a complete infrastructure. Coffee crops, roasting that provides service to the Institute and the community, complete laboratory for tasting and cafeteria model. Teacher Leandro develops important research with private partners in the field, having several equipments in production lines in industries that were developed through these partnerships.
The relationship with Professor Leandro with Georgia is long lasting, and started almost together with Lucca in 2002, in the quality contests of green specialty coffees. At that time, special quality coffee competitions were rare, one of the oldest being the Coffees of Minas Quality Competition, organized in partnership with EMATER / MG. At this time SCAA's test methodology was new and there were few qualified testers. Already at this time the Federal Institute of Machado was one of the few places that had a laboratory that would allow the accomplishment of an important contest like this one. Lucca was one of the only coffee shops and microtitration that bought microlots of special coffees.
Today, almost 15 years later, Lucca continues behind microlots in quality competitions in Brazil and beyond. Nowadays, the reality is very different, many regions have consolidated as denomination of Origin and several already think about obtaining the Geographical Indication. Today all of them organize their quality contests, and for Georgia to select harvest lots, has the help of her daughters, Carolina and Camila, to be able to fulfill the extensive schedule of contests in the post-harvest period.
Certainly, if it were not for the action of Teacher Leandro and the Federal Institute of Lavras, many contests would not be held, or would have no viable criteria for mining the best harvest coffees. Some very interesting numbers this year:
- This year the Institute has sampled 8 competitions: COFFEE OF THE YEAR, BEST COFFEES OF MINAS / EMATER, ALTO CAPARAÓ, BOTELHORS, SILVER WATERS, COOPFAM AND VULCANICS OF POÇOS DE CALDAS.
- more than 2600 samples were sent
- more than 100 professional tasters were mobilized, all doing volunteer work
- more than 550 bags will be marketed as microlotes finalists of the competitions
- hundreds of trainees and students of the Technological Institute participated as staff, dating samples, organizing test tables, coding samples and compiling the results.
No doubt that without the participation of the Technological Institute of Machado and Teacher Leandro, the life of the Coffee Hunters would be much more difficult!
See the story of Prof. Leandro Paiva of the Federal Institute of the South of Minas, Machado campus, and the support he had on the quality contests of special coffees that happen at this time of year.
