Guest blogger Emsal Leo wants to know what all the fuss is about over Viennese coffee, so heads to the Austrian capital for the World Barista Championship 2012.
“Full bodied, bright, with a grapefruity finish” is my verdict for what could be my 6th coffee of the day. In front of me is an assortment of brewing equipment. The barista describes the method of brewing and the beans she’s using as she pours another sample, this time from the central highlands of Kenya, for me to taste. Around me, music is pumping. A cheer goes up from the crowd in the seats to my left, as they watch a contender vie for the title of World Barista Champion 2012. A chocolatey aroma from the coffee roasting competition tickles my nostrils. Another cheer goes up from further down the hall, where contestants are competing in the Coffee Tasting Championship.
We’re at an exhibition hosted by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe, which aims to bring the coffee community, including farmers, roasters, brewers and drinkers, together. This year the event is being held in Vienna, a fitting city for it. This is where the first western coffee house is alleged to have opened a few hundred years ago, after a defeated Ottoman army left sacks of unroasted beans behind as they fled following the Battle of Vienna. From this unassuming beginning, grew what is now an integral part of Viennese culture.
As the exhibition closes for the day, we take the metro into the city centre, emerging at Stephensplatz. “Tickets for tonight’s opera?” says a man dressed as Mozart. A pair of grey horses trot past, pulling a traditional open carriage. In the shadow of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, two couples in evening dress stand at a bar table sipping champagne.
We stroll along Kärntner Strasse to the Vienna State Opera House. In the square outside, people are gathering for the evening’s performance. From bow tie to backpack, everyone is welcome. In the foyer we squeeze past the queue for pre-booked tickets and head for the cloak room, at the back of the Opera House. In contrast to the opulent foyer with its sparkling chandelier, thick carpets and heavy drapes, this room is purely functional. Just a long white marble counter to serve the audience and a discreet kiosk in the corner selling last minute, standing room only tickets.
For €3 per person we are expecting severely restricted viewing, however, from our vertiginous position we can see most of the stage, the orchestra pit and nearly all of the audience. The buzz of conversation and the cacophony of instruments being tuned rises up to us. There are no empty seats, and only a few spaces left in the standing room section. A hush descends as the opening notes of Puccini’s Tosca sound and the curtain rises. For two hours we are captivated by a mesmerising performance, and as the curtain falls, the audience rise to their feet, thunderous applause filling the auditorium.
We make our way down flights of marble steps back to the square. As we walk to our hotel, uplifted by the evening’s entertainment, an assortment of cakes catches our eyes and we are drawn into the café. This is Vienna after all, and there’s always time for one more coffee.
original on treasures.austria.info
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