{Arte Della Tazza}

Did you know your favorite coffee beans begin their lives by growing on an evergreen shrub somewhere on the globe between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This belt that wraps around the globe is known as the “coffee latitudes," or The Coffee Belt. All specialty coffee is grown within this belt because of the climate conditions, altitude, soil types and plant cultivation, each of which influences the coffee’s taste before it ever leaves origin.

Il Mentore—which means “mentor” in Italian—is a signature espresso blended by Parisi’s head roaster Nick Scott and personally selected by Vermes, who in his 13th season at the helm of Sporting is the longest-tenured manager in MLS history. The espresso blend is the second special-edition product in the Tifosi Series, which launched last spring as a declaration of fandom in Kansas City.

You may already know the difference between the two main species of coffee: Coffea canephora aka "Robusta" and Coffea arabica. Coffee has been a heavily traded commodity for centuries. Like a lot of things, the industrial revolution, and specifically transportation changes, made mass-market coffee possible. 

The coffee you are familiar with as a roasted bean begins its life inside a fruited cherry that grows on an evergreen shrub somewhere on the globe between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. This belt that wraps around the globe is known as the “coffee latitudes," also known as The Coffee Belt. All specialty coffee comes from somewhere in this band, whether it’s Kona, Hawaii; Kivu, Congo; or Mount Kerinci, Sumatra.

Ciao Parisi Coffee lovers! Let me introduce myself. I'm Sandy Hon, one of Parisi Coffee's two current "Q Graders," and nothing gets me more excited than sharing coffee knowledge with other coffee lovers! Over the next couple of blog posts, I’m going to take you behind the scenes at Parisi to show you all that we do to ensure the cup of coffee you’re enjoying at home and in our cafes is one of the best you can get anywhere in the world. There is so much to learn about when it comes to coffee. The more you find out, the more you want to know. At Parisi, I educate our baristas on coffee and creating the best coffee-based drinks. I ensure...