‘Barista’ pronounced as ‘buh·ree·stuh.’ is a common term used in our favourite cafes, coffee hubs and bars. Barista is someone who specialises in making and serving varied beverages, sometimes even snacks. You can usually find them brewing your favourite cuppa at a coffee shop or at a bar, which serves coffee and other speciality beverages. It’s quite fascinating to know that a barista’s job has more to do than just creating awesome beverages. So, if you’re a coffee fanatic, put on your reading glasses with a cup of hot cappuccino in your hand and enjoy reading this article!

Barista holds its origin in Italy, and the word is used to refer to a ‘bartender,’ whose job is to serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including coffee-based drinks. But, in the United States and many other countries, including India, it is only used to refer to a person who serves coffee-based drinks like espresso, cappuccino, lattes, etc.

What do you need to become a ‘barista?’

Becoming a barista is not a hard job as such, but one must know his/her coffee inside out.

• The ideal barista not only satisfies your craving for a perfect coffee but also treats your eyes with some beautiful coffee art which can literally melt your heart. Remember, baristas must be artistic!
• Even if you don’t have a big degree or college certificate, you can still be a coffee lover and choose to be a barista. After all, your customers might often sit and have a little chat with you over coffee about coffee!
• You must be technically sound to judge the ideal size of coffee beans. A good barista has a natural instinct to recognize the best coffee beans. Yes, you should know it that much!
• Practice makes a person perfect, including baristas. If you’re looking to choose this profession, make sure to keep practising till you master the art.

Some things you need to know about a ‘barista’

• Like every other sincere profession, baristas need proper training to start a career in this field. And of course, apart from that, be super passionate about coffees.
• About 30 years ago, there existed nothing such as a ‘barista.’ It’s new, trending and many people are getting into it.
• Thought, it may appear easy but latte art can take years to master. Most baristas know heart, rosettes and other simple designs but there are complex ones too.
• Coffee baristas from all over the world participate and showcase their coffee-making skills and latte art at various competitions.
• Baristas love when you show interest in coffee. Ask questions, enlighten yourself with whatever you can because these guys know-it-all!

Don’t confuse ‘barista’ with ‘birista’

Confused between these two similar-sounding words? We are here to help you! ‘Barista’ and ‘birista’ may sound similar but are totally different in the culinary world. ‘Birista’ is nothing but fried onions or thin slices of onion, which are deep-fried till they turn golden brown. These crispy golden fried onions are then used in a variety of dishes like – biryani, soups, curries, dals, sandwiches, khichdis, pulaos, etc. – to either beautify, enhance flavours or add a unique taste and texture to the dish. Hope you don’t find yourself muddled between barista and birista from now on.

After reading this interesting info, we are pretty sure you’re craving for coffee. Go on and turn into a barista at home! Here are some interesting coffee recipes: https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/All-recipesearch.aspx?Search=coffee&course=&cusine=&recipetitle