For a variety of reasons, the 20th century became the era of mass control through influence on consciousness, and this, of course, goes beyond the role of propaganda in politics. It was in the 20th century that marketing evolved from an art to an almost exact science, and large corporations gained access to a full arsenal of marketing tools that allow them to make almost any product desirable to consumers.

The flip side of this coin is that handcrafted, 'artisan' products have almost disappeared from our homes and left our tables—replaced by the infamous 'mass-produced goods,' thanks to unrestricted advertising. Paradoxically, what is most often advertised is typically of poor quality, as quality products do not need advertising. Quality products or services always have their niche and discerning customers. Quality sells in small volumes and only among connoisseurs.

It was among such connoisseurs of exceptional coffee, both in flavour and aroma, that Erna Knutsen, a taster and broker, distributed her mini-lots in the early 1980s. This Norwegian immigrant to America became the first female cupper (professional coffee taster) in the country, immediately attracting the interest of the media. In 1974, the prestigious Tea & Coffee Trade Journal interviewed her, and this interview was destined to go down in history: it was there that Erna Knutsen introduced the term 'specialty coffee,' which she defined as beans of the best flavour which are produced in special microclimates.

It’s important to note that the specialty coffee phenomenon did not immediately become a part of coffee culture: the term remained in quotation marks even in specialised publications until the end of the 20th century, and as a significant global phenomenon, it has only been recognized for a little over ten years. Even today, the vast majority of people (including those working in the coffee industry) have never heard the term and do not know what it means.

Meanwhile, the concept of 'specialty' is central to understanding the topics we discuss. In the phrase 'specialty coffee,' the English word specialty has lost its original meaning of 'delicacy' and acquired a new one, which is difficult to articulate without referring back to its origins—the aforementioned 1974 interview.

The concept of 'specialty' encompasses both the technology of product creation and its professional evaluation. The connection between technology and evaluation is direct, as it is impossible to achieve high ratings without adhering to strict production standards. For example, only coffee produced naturally, hand-harvested, and scoring above 80 points out of 100 in blind tastings falls into this category. This is not just 'high-quality coffee': at the threshold of 80 points, coffee undergoes qualitative changes, resulting in an entirely new product.

Despite the formal definition given above, specialty coffee is a gastronomic phenomenon that is difficult to describe using formal methods. One must approach it indirectly: put simply, specialty coffee is what produces a 'wow effect.' Epithets like 'divine' are merely feeble attempts to convey the strong sensations experienced at all sensory levels.

Of course, appreciating specialty coffee requires a certain level of palate sophistication and, most importantly, a need for these special taste sensations. People who meet these criteria are usually called gourmets, although even this term is not without controversy.

Developing one's palate is similar to cultivating musical taste and musical culture—it requires time and effort. Yet, while cultivating musical culture is widely recognized as absolutely essential by the vast majority of educated people today, the conscious development of gastronomic taste remains, for some reason, the domain of the few. Often, people stumble into this world by chance: in adulthood, someone might suddenly discover their ability to discern subtle flavour nuances and begin to cultivate this ability.

Going back to the concept of specialty, it’s worth noting another characteristic of such products: they are never mass-produced. What can only be understood by a limited number of prepared consumers cannot be produced on an industrial scale. In previous centuries, access to delicacies was a privilege of the elite and a key indicator of high status. Today, specialty products are also somewhat elitist, but in this case, the elite are not representatives of the upper classes but rather a small group of people with access to the relevant information, which they share among themselves.

Armed with such information, a person justifiably feels 'different from the rest,' and in this context, specialty becomes a symbol of belonging to the chosen, a fashion statement, and simply the highest expression of freedom of choice. In the 'divine' beverage, there is always some secret knowledge, received through taste sensations; in Buddhist terms, it’s a kind of 'taste enlightenment.' Such enlightenment brings a strong desire to share this revelation with other adherents of this 'gastronomic Buddhism,' and therefore it has no need for paid advertising. Moreover, it is fundamentally opposed to commerce in both spirit and essence.

It is precisely in the freedom of choice that a modern person can express their individuality. This individuality is another important feature of specialty products. Here, we’re not only talking about the individuality of the consumer but also about the individuality of the producer: in every specialty product, one can feel the personality of the person who invest their labour, their attitude to life, and their vision of the world into the creation.

The final characteristic of specialty products is their adherence to global trends, which distinguishes them from traditional delicacies. Just a few decades ago, the concept of a 'delicacy' was, at best, only indirectly related to health benefits. Quite the opposite: people consumed delicacies as a forbidden fruit, sweet but often harmful. Gout was called the 'disease of aristocrats' and was directly linked to the consumption of delicacies.

What, then, is the trend of our time? A modern specialty product (in addition to having 'divine' taste qualities) must be organically pure, free from artificial additives, and, if possible, free from preservatives. This not only allows for the fullest expression of the product's natural flavour but also aligns with the global shift towards organic products and healthy eating. By keeping up with the times, specialty products are in demand among both traditional gourmets and those who prioritise health and beauty in their choices.

The specialty category helps the taste industry move forward by setting the highest standards for product quality and flavour and regularly updating them in line with contemporary trends. This is why the concept of 'specialty' evolves, following the changes in people's consciousness. Specialty is not a static set of products but a kind of benchmark for those who keep up with global trends. What is considered specialty today will become the standard tomorrow. It is the fertile ground from which something new and, as always, 'divine' will inevitably grow.

If we compare gastronomy to painting, then specialty is undoubtedly the avant-garde. It is always ahead, always setting the tone for everything else. This is why studying specialty is not only an opportunity to make new discoveries every day, achieving 'taste enlightenment' and sharing it with others, but also a unique chance to glimpse the future of the taste industry—a chance that should not be overlooked.