PASA Coffee: From Ordinary to Specialty · English · Episode 1
What Makes Coffee Specialty? | Beginner Series
In this beginner-friendly episode, we explore what makes coffee “specialty” and why it tastes so different from ordinary commercial coffee. You’ll learn about quality, flavor, sourcing, defects, and the basic idea behind specialty coffee in a simple and practical way. If you are a coffee lover, home brewer, or aspiring barista in the UAE, this episode is the perfect starting point for your journey into better coffee.
Watch this lesson
Listen on Spotify
Coffee Quest
Coffee Quest for this episode
Sign in to unlock this quiz and save your score.
Episode materials
Presentation
Presentation available after sign in.
Sign in to downloadKeep learning with PASA
Take the next step in your coffee journey
Use the free guide to plan your training, explore masterclasses when you are ready, or message the PASA team with questions about barista education in Dubai.
English
More episodes in this track
Continue the series in order to build a clear foundation in specialty coffee.
Arabica vs Robusta | Beginner Series
In this episode, we explain the difference between Arabica and Robusta in a simple, beginner-friendly way. You will learn how these two coffee species differ in taste, caffeine, body, crema, bitterness, growing conditions, and price.
Watch EpisodeTravel the Coffee Belt: Ethiopia to Brazil
Travel across the Coffee Belt and learn why coffee grows best in tropical regions near the equator. This episode explains how altitude, climate, soil, and origin affect coffee flavour, and why coffees from Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, and other regions can taste so different. Perfect for beginners who want to understand coffee origin and how it helps them choose better specialty coffee.
Watch EpisodeAnatomy of a Coffee Cherry
Learn what a coffee cherry is and where coffee beans actually come from. This episode explains the main layers of a coffee cherry, including skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment, silverskin, and seed. A beginner-friendly foundation episode that helps explain how the coffee cherry affects processing, sweetness, acidity, flavour, and the final cup.
Watch EpisodeSeed to Cup Journey
Follow the full journey of coffee from a tiny seed inside a coffee cherry to the final cup you enjoy. This episode explains how farming, harvesting, processing, drying, milling, exporting, roasting, grinding, brewing, and tasting all shape coffee quality and flavour. Perfect for beginners who want to understand why specialty coffee depends on every step, not just roasting or brewing.
Watch EpisodeNatural Process | Beginner Series
Explore the natural coffee process, one of the oldest and most flavourful coffee processing methods. This episode explains how whole coffee cherries are dried with the fruit still around the seed, and how this affects sweetness, body, fruitiness, and final cup character. Perfect for beginners who want to understand why natural process coffees can taste fruity, winey, jammy, heavier, and more expressive — and why careful drying control is essential for quality.
Watch EpisodeWashed Process | Beginner Series
Explore the washed coffee process, one of the cleanest and most widely used processing methods in specialty coffee. This episode explains how the fruit is removed from the coffee seed before drying, how fermentation and washing create clarity, and why washed coffees often taste clean, bright, crisp, floral, and tea-like. Perfect for beginners who want to understand how washed process coffee differs from natural process coffee, and why it is loved for origin clarity, acidity, and elegant flavour.
Watch Episode