The Lavazza-UNISG collaboration is by now in its 13th year. This shared educational project has by now has sent hundreds of students from the university to discover all aspects of coffee production at the historic Turinese company’s headquarters.
Once again this year, the thematic study trip dedicated to coffee will be held at the Training Center Lavazza, a hub of quality for the company which for over 30 years has been spreading coffee culture around the world.
The study trip will run from February 27 to March 3 and the program features an overview of the coffee production cycle followed by an introduction to tasting, with an in-depth look at the key elements in describing the product, sensorial and olfactory perceptions and aroma and its terminology. The students will carry out tasting exercises on coffee fragrance and flavor for three different types of roast, then taste single-origin varieties and blends before having the chance to put together their own blend.
They will discover the secrets of the Italian favorites of espresso and cappuccino and learning about all the different ways of preparing the beans, such as Turkish style, French press, filter, moka pot and espresso.
The coffee market and where it is bought and sold will also be studied, with a particular focus on sustainability, a value that Lavazza has prioritized for some time. The students will learn about the company’s practices to ensure a product with a low environmental impact.
The trip will continue with a look at Lavazza’s history since its origins, its philosophies and its various projects.
The students will then have a chance to visit an artisanal coffee roastery, Roberto Messineo’s Caffè San Domenico in Sant’Antonino di Susa, outside of Turin, before visiting the Lavazza factory to see the different production phases for themselves.
The UNISG students will be led along this aromatic journey by Training Center Lavazza experts Marcello Arcangeli (tutor), Mattia Ferrero, Giulia Sirio, Antonella Bondon, Michele Pulcher, Francesco Viarizzo and Andrea Mazza.
One of these, Giulia Sirio, is a UNISG alumnus. She graduated from the three-year program at Pollenzo in 2014 and has been working at the Lavazza Training Center in Turin for two years as an International Trainer, organizing training programs on coffee for clients, universities, journalists, coffee lovers and chefs. Giulia also works on developing coffee products and new trends and providing support to the trade for the launch of new products on the Italian or international market.