Those wishing for the perfect mochachino latte with skim milk and an extra shot need to get in line at Liangjiang New Area fast.

A brood of the country’s best baristas will battle it out at the TMG Art Center in Liangjiang New Area on Feb 17, as it hosts the regional heats of the 2017 World Barista Championships (WBC).

Dubbed the “Coffee Olympics” by some, the event has attracted 25 of the finest coffee-making maestros from Chongqing, Yunnan, and Xinjiang in western China. The caffeinated competitors will grind it out for a shot at attending the world final held in Seoul, capital of South Korea on Nov 9 to 12.

Coffee beans are prepared for the regional heats of the “Coffee Olympics” to be held at the TMG Art Center of Liangjiang New Area on Feb 17. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

The competition, which has been held since 2000, promotes all things excellent in the world of coffee – the beans, the grind, the brew, the perks, and the passion of the baristas.

The two-day heats will see 25 baristas put to the test, each having to make eight cups of joe, in two different varieties, in just 10 minutes.

In the following round, 12 cups of three different kinds of coffee must be made in 15 minutes. Espresso and cappuccino are mandatory being the coffee staple that they are.

Every coffee-making skill imaginable will be on show at the “Coffee Olympics” in Liangjinag New Area. [Photo/World Coffee Event]

The final challenge will see tension brew to a frothy peak with each barista tasked with making their own signature cup of coffee – be it a latte, macchiato, flat white, or cortado.

The tasting team judging the java will evaluate the beverages on flavor, creativity, cleanliness, technical skills, and overall presentation.

Fittingly, Chongqing has revealed plans to become the world’s third-largest coffee future’s market, after New York and London. It also expects to gather over 1 million tons of coffee from other Asian nations, especially from Vietnam and Indonesia and transport them to Europe. Chongqing launched the country’s largest freeze-dried coffee production project on Nov 20, 2016.

Victorious baristas celebrate at the 2016 World Barista Championships. [Photo by Jake Olson/World Coffee Event]

Edited by Owen Fishwick