Sbu and Noma live in the community of Kwa-Mashu, just west of Durban and run a coffee appreciation day once a month for the residents who live in their neighbourhood. We were extremely fortunate to be invited and so last Saturday Mel and I took a short drive out of town and spent a few wonderful hours learning all about coffee and matcha!
Coffee appreciation in Kwa-Mashu, Noma, Mel & Sbu and delicious cold brew tonics on arrival.
When we arrived, we were greeted by Noma, who quickly introduced us to Sbu, her partner and all the other guests. We were treated to delicious welcomes drinks - a matcha infused lemonade and a cold brew tonic. So refreshing and delicious! It was incredible to see the interest in coffee and learning more about coffee from Sbu - he had printed up a bunch of informative posters on both matcha and coffee - from the farming and processing of different varietals, to roasting and even the origins and traditions of matcha.
Locals gathering for coffee, kopi luwak explained and some red espresso products to try!
Next up was a group tasting of espresso. Sbu explained a little bit about the Italian tradition of espresso bars and tasting the espresso standing at the bar, no milk or sugar - which was quite an experience for everyone - some of the guests tasting espresso for the first time, which was incredibly exciting! We then moved outside to have a discussion on matcha and Sbu showed us how to make his famous berry, soda and matcha drink - which was truly inspiring.
Sbu roasting coffee in a pan, getting behind the espresso machine, some perfectly poured latte-art!
We then had a really cool time discussing roasting coffee and Sbu demonstrated the Ethiopian tradition of roasting coffee in a pan - which was quite an experience for those who had never seen green coffee turn to roasted coffee, nor smelled the delicious aroma of roasting beans.
All about matcha, getting the crowds inspired, match lemonade (with or without gin!) and a cold brew whiskey tonic. Yum!
Finally, everyone who wanted a chance to pull a shot of espresso had a turn behind the espresso machine, and it was wonderful to see a couple of full-time working baristas from the neighbourhood there to support and share their knowledge with the community. It was a fantastic experience, and we are deeply grateful to Noma and Sbu for hosting us and inviting us to be part of such a special day!
