
chouette torréfacteur laboratoire
Coffee is generally roasted quickly at high temperatures. ‘chouette torréfacteur laboratoire’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘chouette’) located in Setagaya, a fiercely competitive area for coffee, shines with its unique ‘low-temperature roasting’ method. We interviewed the owner, Mr. Kenji Takayama, who is also a former chef at a Michelin three-star restaurant ‘Quitessence.’ ※ Titles are omitted in the text. ‘Low-temperature roasting’ to bring the best out of fresh ingredients. “How can I bring out the best, delicious flavors of coffee?” Chouette’s unique low-temperature roasting was born out of Takayama’s ‘chef’s inspiration.’ Takayama states, “I reached the low-temperature roasting method myself. After experimenting with different roasting methods, I found out that roasting at high temperatures puts stress on the coffee. I felt that the world of specialty coffees, which are often roasted quickly at high temperatures, reminded me of the culinary industry of the past that I was in.” Takayama has loved cooking since he was a child and aspired to become a chef and spent time in France while he was studying at a culinary school. After graduating from culinary school, he studied at the Michelin two-star restaurant ‘Saint Pau’ and the Michelin three-star restaurant ‘Quitessence.’ “I have always worked in restaurants, so I was confident in my skills to heat fresh ingredients. At ‘Quitessence,’ in particular, I’ve learned the art of roasting, where the meat is cooked from a low temperature. In the culinary industry, heating at high temperatures used to be the norm, but there has been a historical shift in the way to choose lower temperatures to maximize the flavor of the ingredients,” Takayama states. Normally, the input temperature or the temperature inside...