Glossary of slow culture
Short, clear definitions of the terms we use in Slow Made City, from bloom in V60 to bean-to-bar in chocolate and lactofermentation in kimchi. One term: one sentence answer, plus a little context.
Coffee
Specialty coffee, brew methods, extraction, equipment
- Specialty coffee Coffee scored above 80 out of 100 by certified Q Graders per the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) standard, with traceable origin down to a specific farm or cooperative.
- Bloom The first 30-45 seconds of a V60 or other pour-over method, when a small amount of water is poured over freshly ground coffee to release CO₂. Without bloom, extraction is uneven.
- Extraction The process by which water dissolves and extracts soluble compounds from ground coffee. Under-extraction yields sour, watery taste; over-extraction yields bitter, dry finish. Target extraction for most brew methods is 18-22% of coffee weight.
- Grind size The coarseness of ground coffee, which controls extraction speed. Finer = slower water flow = higher extraction. Espresso requires very fine grind (like powdered sugar), V60 medium (like sea salt), French press coarse (like coarse crystal sugar).
- TDS The concentration of dissolved solids in the brewed drink, measured with a refractometer. A typical V60 falls in the 1.30-1.45% TDS range, espresso in the 8-12% TDS range. TDS is not the same as extraction. It measures strength, not the percentage of solubles extracted.
- Origin The geographic source of a specific coffee. "Single origin" means all beans in a bag come from one country, region, or even a single farm, as opposed to a blend, which mixes origins. Origin is the specialty equivalent of "terroir" in wine.
- SCA The global organization that defines quality standards in specialty coffee: cupping protocols, evaluation rubrics for beans and drinks, certifications for Q Graders and baristas. SCA was formed in 2017 by the merger of SCAA (America) and SCAE (Europe).
- Cupping A standardized coffee evaluation protocol developed by SCA. Freshly ground coffee is brewed in cups with hot water, then scored for aroma, flavor, acidity, body, balance and other criteria (blind, in a group). This is the procedure that gives coffee its specialty score.
- Pour-over A brewing method where hot water is poured manually over ground coffee in a filter. V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave and Origami are the most popular pour-over devices. Produces a clean, transparent finish where the origin is heard.
Cacao
Bean-to-bar chocolate, couverture, conching
- Bean-to-bar A chocolate-making model where a single producer controls the entire process from cacao bean to finished bar (sourcing, fermentation, roasting, conching, tempering, packaging). The opposite of the couverture model, where finished chocolate is bought in bulk.
- Couverture A standardized chocolate with high cocoa butter content, sold as a production ingredient to pastry chefs, baristas and chocolatiers who re-melt and mold it into bars or pralines. The opposite of the bean-to-bar model.
- Conching A step in chocolate making where the chocolate mass is mixed and aerated for hours or days (typically 24-72 hours for quality chocolate). Evaporates unwanted acids, develops flavor, smooths texture. Invented in 1879 by Rudolf Lindt.
- Single-estate cacao Cacao produced by a single farm or plantation, as opposed to blends from multiple regions. Allows the maker to highlight terroir, the characteristic flavor of a specific place, climate and cacao variety. The cacao equivalent of single-origin coffee.
Artisan
Sourdough, fermentations, honey
- Sourdough Bread fermented with natural leaven, a culture of wild yeasts and lactobacillus, maintained by the baker. No commercial yeast. Fermentation takes 12-72 hours, which develops flavor and makes the gluten easier to digest.
- Lactofermentation A process where lactic-acid bacteria convert sugars in the product into lactic acid. It preserves the food and develops deep, tangy flavors. Kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, miso and kefir are all lactofermented.
- Raw honey Honey that has not been heated above 40°C (104°F) and has not been machine-filtered. Preserves enzymes, pollen particles, and micro-nutrients that pasteurization destroys. Crystallizes naturally after a few months (not a defect, but a sign of quality).
SMC
Concepts specific to Slow Made City
- Brand Residency Slow Made City's editorial model: a thematic 3-6 month season where a brand enters the media as a co-author of meaning, not as an advertiser. The editorial team controls tone and angle on individual pieces. See the full definition at /en/what-is-brand-residency.
- City Loop A gamified mechanic in Slow Made City where readers earn points by scanning QR codes in partner cafés, reading articles from a brand residency, and posting photos on Instagram. At the end of the season, points convert into rewards from the brand resident.
- Slow Made The editorial axis of Slow Made City: products, places and rituals made with a focus on meaning over speed, process over product, culture over noise, and care over chaos. Not an official movement, but a compass for what we cover.