Coffee with Torkel Hultén

Torkel Hultén

Originally Torkel Hultén worked as a joiner, following in the footsteps of his famous father, Björn Hultén. However, in autumn 2001, he started along a new path as a barista at Da Matteo in Gothenburg, Sweden. Here too, Torkel found an outlet for his craftsman’s skills (barista = craftsmanship). Making a good espresso all day long requires a fundamental understanding of the craftsmanship behind every single cup.

Torkel’s pronounced sense for coffee has led to a range of successes: as early as 2003, he won the Barista Cup in Stockholm (Swedish Championships in the art of making Italian coffee), which led to an appearance at the World Championships in Boston, USA, shortly afterwards. In 2004, Torkel represented Sweden in the Nordic Barista Cup on Iceland, where he was one of the four members of the Swedish team.
Torkel, who currently works at Kahl’s coffee roastery, is happy to share his passion for coffee with others. As a result, he has, for example, held the position of coach of the Swedish national barista team. He will also be one of the judges at the Nordic Barista Cup 2006, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Torkel’s winning drink at
the 2003 Barista Cup

Fuocco dell’Etna (Etna’s fire)
A single espresso (3 cl)
Use a little piece of red chilli when brewing the espresso.
1 cl sweetened condensed milk
1 cl reduced rhubarb juice with a hint of star anis

Top off with skimmed milk with a hint of saffron.
Serve in a Swedish schnapps glass.

Tips for the home!

Instead of investing in an expensive espresso machine, start by buying a coffee mill. This will mean that you can use freshly ground coffee every time – no matter what brewing method you use. It will also significantly improve the quality of your coffee at home. Then it is entirely up to you which brewing method you prefer. NB! The espresso method “demands” that you have a coffee mill.

Ground coffee quickly loses its freshness – generally after about an hour – while whole beans last a lot longer (around 1 week “in the open air”). Naturally, they lasts longer in a tightly sealed container stored in a cool, dark place. If you have a pack of beans that is likely to be open for more than a month, you can even store it in your freezer.

Torkel’s favourite coffees

Fazenda Recreio (Single Estate) Brasilien
A natural Coffea Arabica “Yellow Bourbon”.
A very complex and aromatic coffee with good natural sweetness.
A very fulsome coffee with fruity tones of newly cut cloudberries.
Won the 2004 Cup of Excellence.

Monsun Malabar (Single Origin) Indien
A Coffea Arabica from the south-west of India. Takes its name from the shipping harbour in the town of Malabar. In the 1600s and 1700s, this coffee was shipped to Europe by the East India Company, and the long voyage dramatically altered its character. When the transport time was cut – thanks to the arrival of the steam-ship, for example – the coffee no longer tasted as it should! This led the Indian producers to lay the coffee out under cover during the monsoon. The beans swelled up, became porous and their colour faded – but they retained their remarkable taste. Almost all the fruitiness disappeared, but a wonderful fulsomeness and a syrupy sweetness formed – and still form today – the character of this coffee.

Yirgacheffe (single origin) Etiopien
Comes from the true origin of coffee: Ethiopia (more precisely, South-east Ethiopia). Tea-like and elegant without being insipid, with a pleasant acidity that stems from the bergamot.