The Sydney Aroma Festival
This sunday The Rocks Aroma Festival played out in Sydney’s old historic quarter. For anyone not familiar with Sydney, this is not as niche as it may sound. Rather it is the local code name for the annual Coffee and Chocolate fest, a seven hour hedonistic splurgaton of chocolate fountains, chocolate covered strawberries, rocky roads, honey-dipped popcorn, creamy pavlovas, hot chocolate shots, roasted nuts, chocolate cakes, cupcakes and, my favourite, the honey energy drink - to mention some of the treats (that we actually tried..).
Among this, a stretch of local coffee breweries served their best coffee at $1 a cup. Last year I spent 2 hours standing in line waiting for the hot chili chocolate of the Mayan Xocolat factory, which this year, thankfully, was far less popular (but still as good).
There is one thing with Sydney that always wins my heart over, and that is the sheer hedonism the city can manage to accommodate. It is just three weeks since the similarly strange-named Manly Food and Wine festival - there’s nothing particularly manly about it, is just located in the suburb of Manly. And an endless string to other gorge-worthy celebrations are on their way, breaking up the everyday gourmet decadence that can take place at any time one may desire in this city. As the Rocks market themselves: Eat happily ever after.
The following is from the invitation: “The Rocks Aroma Coffee Festival is a coffee-lover’s paradise. The festival is considered the largest coffee festival in the Southern hemisphere, featuring the smallest of roasters next to bigger coffee houses, all offering their roasts and blends to the public for as little as $1 per cup. There is also a Domestic Coffee Machine Expo, coffee workshops, a Turkish Coffee House, plus live music and entertainment.
From 10am–5pm on Sunday 23 July, visitors to Aroma will experience a baristic bonanza as more than 25 artisan coffee roasters showcase their blends and brews.
Consume as many $1 sample cups as you like and compare the different roasts as you wander through Sydney’s heritage quarter.
Whether it’s a plunger, percolator or serious coffee machine that brews your daily cup, the mysteries of grind, dose and infusion will be revealed in a series of free demonstrations and workshops by Australia’s leading food and coffee experts at the ASN Theatrettes, on the corner of Hickson Road and George Street.
The latest domestic coffee equipment will be on display for visitors to Aroma to touch, see, try and buy, at the Domestic Coffee Machine Expo. Expert demonstrators will profile a wide range of models in Customs Hall on the upper level of the Overseas Passenger Terminal.
For some Middle Eastern flair, dip into the Turkish Coffee House with belly dancers, middleeastern music and coffeepots made from hand-hammered copper and brass. Enjoy strong Turkish coffee, brewed the traditional way since the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, while reclining on colourful cushions.
Smooth jazz tunes, laid back lounge and other earthy beats will complement the coffee aromas wafting through the air. Bands will perform live throughout the day, at the Overseas Passenger Terminal Forecourt, First Fleet Park and The Rocks Square.”
So, apparently, no reason not to go. Except for the fact that it just finished, of course, and it’s a year until next time.
The belly dancer of the Turkish coffee stand. This also gives an idea of how many people were there, which was a lot. It was a festival of $1 coffee and chocolate, though, so I am surprised that not every single person of the 4 million people living in Sydney showed up.
The boyfriend in the soundtrack above, who is trying to weasel out of being caught red-handed (or rather, red-eyed from too much coffee), “ogling” the belly dancer by saying he was just admiring her impressive dance skills, is not me. Just some other guy happening to be very close to the microphone for some reason.
