A Japanese Barista Just Launched A New Way To Get Your Espresso

Across the world, is there a morning beverage that's more beloved than a steaming cup of coffee? Although this popular drink is easy to make at home, when in a coffee shop it can be difficult to know the difference between so many types. Espresso, cortado, macchiato, mocha, americano, and flat white are just a part of numerous styles of coffee that baristas make daily for their caffeine-loving customers.

However, according to TasteAtlas, espresso is the most popular type of coffee across the globe. The Italian technique of making coffee shares the name with the drink, which is made by passing pressurized hot water through ground coffee beans. During the process, espresso flavors become rich and creamy, while the consistency becomes thick. And now, you don't even have to drink espresso to taste its exquisite flavors because a Japanese barista launched a new way to get your favorite shot of coffee.

Vinepair reports that the famed barista and owner of Tokyo's Bear Pond Espresso, Katsuyuki Tanaka, has launched an edible bar made from solid coffee, or to be more precise — "coffee beans, water, milk, and a bit of sugar." What's best of all, the edible coffee bars are 100% portable, so you can carry your espresso shot in your pocket and indulge in the caffeine-filled treat whenever you feel like it.

These bars actually stem from a big expansion project Tanaka was working on, that would bring his coffee to various locations in America. Unfortunately, the project was squashed due to Covid-19, but he shared that while working on the project he met many people who never tasted his coffee, which was frustrating. "So I decided to make portable, solid coffee bars that I could take out of my pocket like business cards and let them taste my style," he told Forbes.

And although this coffee bar looks similar to a chocolate bar, the flavors and textures have nothing to do with chocolate, only the rich and smoky flavors of espresso and a "uniquely sandy" texture (per Forbes). Tanaka's creation is called EXPERIENCE coffeedust bar and currently, you can only get them at Bear Pond Espresso in Tokyo. He says that the handmade bars sell out within an hour so keep a lookout on his Instagram for the new batch releases.