Coffee Encounters

Melbourne have a very strong coffee and cafe culture. You can find cafes in every little corner or lane way in Melbourne. Melburnians love their coffee and they have very discerning taste when it comes to coffee. Therefore, you will find many cafes here serving good coffee.

The coffee culture here is very much influenced by the large number of European migrants arriving after the World War II. And with subsequent migration from the other Continents, some interesting coffee culture are seeping in.

Here are some of my coffee experiences or 'encounters':

Froth Art - The art of drinking coffee has now advanced into 'fine arts'. I was quite delighted when served a cup of coffee with the beautifully crafted image of a woman's face. This was in a cafe at Swan Street.

Ethiopian Coffee - It is a great treat to have someone prepares fresh coffee while you finish your meal at Harambe Restaurant, Footscray. When I mean fresh, this is truly fresh, it starts off with roasting of the green coffee beans, grinding and brewing the coffee. The coffee is then served in a clay jug. It is believe that the Ethiopians were probably the first to discover coffee. In the Ninth Century, the coffee were only found in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian highlanders are the first to cultivate the native coffee beans. This explains why the coffee is so deeply rooted in their history and culture. I cannot help but noticed that Ethiopian have their coffee in Chinese teacups. Chinese influence in East Africa dates back to as far back as in the 14th Century. The East African have early contact with the Chinese traders, among the items that were traded are porcelain, silk, elephant tusk etc., Frankincense was much sought after.
Home Brew - At home, I brew my coffee using a Bialetti moka pot. The one I have is quite fancy with two spouts and a convenient platform to hold and heat up two espresso cups. This is the next best thing to an espresso machine. I enjoy the time spent grinding and waiting for the coffee to spew out into the cup. It is so typical of my lazy weekend; chilling out - no rush, just relax, and the aroma of the coffee that fills the air.
Indulgence - When you like your coffee so much, you can have a big bowl of it at Laurent Patisserie, in Chadstone Shopping Mall.

Nian Gao - Chinese

Today is the eve of the Chinese New Year. It is a tradition for Chinese to have a family reunion dinner. There are several traditional dishes for the ocassion. The dishes served are symbolic to usher in the new year. This could be based on the appearances, i.e. long stringy noodles signify longevity, chicken need to be served whole with the head and tail, signifying the wholeness or completeness of tasks ahead or relationship. It could also be based on how the name of the dishes sound in Chinese. For example, in Cantonese (a Chinese dialect) a dish of black moss with dried oyster called 'Fat choi ho si'. Fat choi means having good luck and Ho Si means good business. Oranges which are called 'Kum' which is a pun for Gold, is eaten or given as gifts.

A friend of mine, Pinky, she made these beautiful Chinese carps and piglet (auspicious symbols) with glutinous rice flour. This is her interpretation of the traditional new year sticky cake, 'Nian Gao'

Wishing you all a 'Happy Chinese New Year'.