I grew up with Irish nuns as my teachers. On 17th March every year, they wore shamrocks pinned to their habits. Wilted shamrocks, because they’d been sent all the way in the post from Ireland – to Cairns (tropical North Queensland, Australia). And all the girls turned up to school that day wearing green ribbons in their hair – because the nuns told us to.

There are many stories about the shamrock and ‘the wearing of the green’.  But the one the nuns churned out every year was how Saint Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, used the three-leaf green shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. 

We always celebrated with a concert at the Hibernian Hall, having rehearsed songs and dances for weeks. It was as important as Christmas. Decades later, I can still get the tune going in my head as I read the words of this great Irish song.

So have a go at singing along to celebrate.

And have a Happy St Patrick’s Day!

It’s a great Day for the Irish

Oh, I woke me up this morning and I heard a joyful song

From the throats of happy Irishmen, a hundred thousand strong

Sure it was the Hibernian Brigade

Lining up for to start the big parade

So I fetched me Sunday bonnet and the flag I love so well

And I bought meself a shamrock just to wear in me lapel

Don’t you know that today’s March seventeen?

It’s the day for the wearing of the green………..

It’s a great day for the Irish, it’s a great day for fair

The side-walks of New York are thick with Blarney

For shure you’d think New York was Old Killarney

Begosh and begorragh, every Irish son and daughter

Every good old Irish name and their relation

They come from Tipperary, Donegal and County Kerry,

They are all here to join the celebration……….

There’s Connolly and Donnelly, Ryan, O’Brien,

McLoughlin and Lynch, Pat Flannigan, McFadden, McPhearson and Finch

Hogan and Logan, Fitzpatrick, O’Bannigan, Danny O’Doole and Seamus O’Tool!

It’s a great day for the Shamrock, for the flags in full array

We’re feeling so inspirish, shure because for all the Irish

It’s a great, great day…..

It’s a great day for the Irish, it’s a great day for fair

Begosh, there’s not a cop to stop a raiding

Begorrah all the cops are out parading

It’s a great day for the Shamrock, for the flags in full array

And as we go a-swinging, every Irish heart is singing

It’s a great, great day.

Today’s the day Australians celebrate the start of the first non-aboriginal settlement in Australia. It’s sometimes difficult to comprehend that Australia, as such, is only 224 years old. We have some a long way in such a short amount of time!

In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip, captain of a fleet of 8 ships sent from England, chose a little cove in the magnificent Sydney Harbour to start his settlement of convicts and officers. This year I read a great book on these first Australian settlers. Simply named ‘1788’, it’s a riveting read that details the enormous difficulties experienced on the voyage and during the first few years of the settlement.

It would have been an idyllic location then – and still is now. Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I was there a few weeks ago and took an evening wander around the famous first fleet area – now known as ‘The Rocks’. It’s the area around the north side of the Harbour Bridge, opposite the Opera House. 

As a proud Australian, I don’t have to think too hard about what Australia is famous for regarding coffee. So now it’s serious brag time!

Australia grows coffee.
I am always amazed at how many people I meet overseas are surprised to hear that we grow coffee – and it’s in many areas dotted along the east coast. The biggest producing area is in north Queensland and the second biggest is over 1,000 kilometres away in northern New South Wales – a most enchanting and relaxing spot. It’s 2 hours drive from where we live in Brisbane and we go there often.

Australian baristas are the best.
In international competitions Australian baristas always score well ranking up there with the best. We have had several World Barista Champion finalists (and one World Champion, Paul Bassett in 2003). In 2010, we won Best Coffee Nation scoring the highest overall in 5 World Championship events staged in London. Add to that, I have to say Australian baristas are among the nicest and friendliest you will ever meet!

Australia manufactures espresso machines.
No, they’re not all made in Italy! With a name like Boema, you could be forgiven for thinking Boema coffee machines were from Italy. But they’re not! Boema was started by an Italian migrant family in 1956 and the company has been owned and operated by the Gibbs family since 1992.Australia has a fabulous coffee culture.

Australia can boast some of the finest cafes in the world.
I can speak with authority, as I have been drinking coffee for many years now in cities around the world and can compare. You will always be able to find an exceptional coffee experience somewhere nearby in our 7 capital cities and smaller towns, especially in our many famous ‘foodie’ regions.

Australia has a strong barista training focus.
With the largest proportion of our jobs being in hospitality or tourism, it comes as no surprise that we have a world class training system – from hotel schools with internationally cross-credentialed courses – to the many hospitality courses in high schools. Around 90% of Australian high schools would have an espresso machine and coffee training as part of the curriculum on offer. So it is in high school that an Australian 14 year old might start out on their journey as a barista.

Imagine 1,206 different coffees to taste – all in 3 days! 

Every year coffee roasters from all over Australia send their best beans to be judged by their peers at a conference and tasting event known as The Golden Bean. 

Coffee enthusiasts come to learn about the latest trends and developments from experts in their fields – and between sessions, participate in tasting and judging beverages made from beans entered in the following categories:

• espresso
• milk based
• Australian grown
• filter
• organic espresso
• single
• decaffeinated
• syphon
• chain/franchise coffee

Behind the scenes is a team of dedicated baristas, the best from all over the country, who give up their time to pull shots and foam milk all day – on machines that have been pre-calibrated for consistency. 

The beverages are presented to the tasters in another room away from the intense and complex aromas that result when dozens of different beans are ground and extracted one after the other.

Runners go back and forth bringing beverages in pairs to the tasting tables – on trays with their coded scoring sheets. The tasters must attend a calibration session that teaches them how to score for consistency and they work in pairs to arrive at a fair and honest score. You could be judging your own beans – or those of your fiercest competitor. But you will never know. And no one wants to anyway.

Baristas, roasters, runners and tasters are all rewarded for their hard work at the fabulous evening events. This year it was go-cart racing and a BBQ on the first night, chocolate and coffee cocktails with finger food on the second and the formal dinner and announcement of winners as the grand finale.

Bronze, silver and gold medals are awarded in each category. 

The overall winner for 2011 was

• Dimattina Coffee, from Melbourne, with

• Cibo Espresso, from Adelaide - the winner of the Coffee chain category

The runners up were two Queenslanders

• Di Bella from Brisbane
• Caffe Silipo (below) from the Gold Coast.

CONGRATULATIONS to all medal winners – and to Sean Edwards and his team for putting on another fine coffee event bringing the Australian coffee community together.

Go to www.cafeculture.com for more information about this event and a complete list of all the winners.

Queensland’s coffee community gathered in Brisbane at Di Bella Coffee Roastery on the weekend – to see the state’s best baristas compete in an event that will see the winners go on to the Australian finals in May next year. In June, the Australian winners will compete in the World Barista Championships in Vienna.

Four of the six categories in the WBC were represented at the competition and the winners were:

Barista

1st Matt Troughton (Dandelion and Driftwood)

2nd Janelle Kingsley (Dandelion and Driftwood)

3rd Jean-Paul Sutton (Veneziano)

Latte art

1st Scott Luengen (Cup Coffee)

2nd Adrian Zucher (Veneziano)

3rd Sam Liao (Dandelion and Driftwood)

Brewers cup

1st Kelsey Kerr (Dandelion and Driftwood)

2nd Sam Liao (Dandelion and Driftwood)

3rd Peter Wolff (Dandelion and Driftwood)

Cup tasting

1st Fred Lullfitz (Di Bella Coffee)

2nd Daylan Isai (Di Bella Coffee)

3rd Jolie Beckett (Toby’s Estate)

Special congratulations must go to Dandelion and Driftwood for the tremendous team effort and their many wins - especially Sam who was successful in two categories.

It’s an exciting possibility for any barista of any age or experience. Last years Australian champion was only 21 with less than 2 years of experience as a barista. He came third in the world, proving that with passion and persistence coupled with the right opportunity and mentor, you can achieve anything you like.

When someone ‘shouts’ you a coffee as we say it in Australia, what do you do? Offer to pay? File it in the memory to pay next time? Say thanks and smile?

Lovely gestures of friendship, where someone buys something for someone else, are happening all over the world.

I have just found out about another thing you can do, only it’s not about buying a coffee for someone; its about buying some fresh water. Now you can extend that gesture to someone you don’t know – through an ingenious scheme called Water Forward.

1 billion social media users are challenged to give to 1 billion people who don’t have fresh water. Go to www.waterforward.org to find out more. The video is really fun to watch and it’s a fabulous cause.

Today is the anniversary of the day Cambodia became independent in 1953 - after being a French protectorate for 90 years. Cambodians may have cut ties with French control - but not with their love of cakes taught by the French.

At Bloom Cafe in Phnom Penh, girls who have been rescued from unimaginable lives in brothels are learning how to make beautiful cakes. Most importantly they are learning how to re-experience things like trust, belief and love – as they face the painful and extremely difficult task of healing their lives. 

The girls are being taught the Australian cake making curriculum by Ruth Larwill, an extraordinary woman I had the pleasure of meeting some years ago. Although most of these girls are not yet teenagers, have never been to school and don’t speak English, they have achieved incredible success in this curriculum. As part of their training, they also learn the essentials of running the cafe.

Ruth, her husband and her two young sons have been living in Phnom Penh now several years – after Ruth answered a call to do something for others.

Child trafficking into brothels is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. According to UNICEF, the global market in child trafficking is valued at over $12 billion a year and there are over 2.5 million child victims. These children are scarred for life and need help.

Bloom Cafe is that help for a small group of girls each year.

John Montague, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich has been given the credit for inventing the sandwich in the 18th century. Evidently he didn’t like to stop for lunch (particularly during long sessions of gambling) and had his servants prepare his lunch between two slices of bread – so he could continue doing whatever it was he was doing and eat at the same time. (Now I can relate to that!)

National Sandwich Day is celebrated each year in the US on the anniversary of the Earl’s birthday.

Almost every country has developed their own version and they come in many shapes and sizes – from the simple vegemite sandwich most Australian kids grow up on to the dainty cucumber sandwiches found at English high teas. The French have their grilled cheese and ham, the ‘croque monsieur’, the Scandinavians their colourful open ‘smoorebrood’ and the Turkish, their shawarma, a flat bread rolled with spiced meat. The Italians call them ‘pannini’ the Vietnamese, ‘banh mi’ and the Lebanese a ‘doner kebab’. Club sandwiches, steak sandwiches, roast beef sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches –  the list goes on.

I’d like to acknowledge today by ‘sharing’ some special sandwiches. You find ‘tramezzini’ all over northern Italy but the ones I found at Il Tramezzino, an Italian caffe in Amsterdam, were outstanding.

A specialty from Venice, tramezzini are thin slices of white bread (made from extra large loaves) packed full of colourful fillings.  They are presented as triangles with crusts off – under crisp white napkins that are slightly damp to stop them from going stale.

I must mention the coffee I had at Il Tramezzino too. The owner, proudly prepared it on his brand new Elektra - the one with the eagle on top. He made it twice for me – to make sure the crema was perfectly even all over! And it was delicious.

When I was at primary school, the nuns were good at telling stories about saints, especially around the 1st November is dedicated as All Saints Day. We all loved these stories. So now when I see a cafe named after a saint (and there are a few), I just have to hear the story.

Let me share a special one with you since it’s the 1st November today.

‘A very long time ago, an Islamic sufi whose name was Abu’l Hasan ‘Ali ibn Umar brought some coffee beans to Yemen - all the way from where it was discovered far, far away across the Red Sea in Abyssinia. He also brought back stories of how his precious coffee beans would promote alertness and prevent sleepiness for anyone who dared to try them. After a while, his fellow sufis experimented with boiling the pale green beans in water and drinking the odd tasting concoction before their religious ceremonies. It was true; they were able to stay awake more easily during their long hours of worship. They were so happy, they didn’t mind the strange taste.

Much later one of the sufis threw some used beans on the fire and a powerful intoxicating aroma immediately filled the room. The sufis realised that by cooking their coffee beans before boiling them in water, an enjoyably delicious drink could be made.

Farmers started growing coffee trees, special houses that sold coffee started to spring up all over the cities and drinking coffee became a popular pastime for all. But no one could ever solve the mystery of why coffee had such a strange intoxicating effect. Eventually, the sufi who brought the mysterious coffee to Yemen was named the patron saint of coffee growers, coffeehouse proprietors and coffee drinkers.”’

Isn’t that a great story?

Using the abbreviated version of the sufi’s name, a cafe in Melbourne is named St ALi. For seekers of coffee nirvana, St ALi, the cafe, is the end of the pilgrimage. It’s tucked away in a difficult-to-find street with no sign to say you have arrived. You just have to know. But inside you will find exceptional coffee, fabulous food and impressive staff. (No, the staff are not the saints; they’re good but not that kind of good!)

Recently, St ALi has opened in London. Unlike the Australian St ALi, it’s positioned on a busy high street with a sign that makes you think there’s a Broadway musical going on inside. There’s no musical but a fine performance none the less - of exceptional staff churning out coffee and meals certainly worthy of much applause.

Today is the Turkish National Day. 
In 1923, the Ottoman Empire came to an end and Turkey became a republic. This is commemorated each year on 29^th October by the Turkish community with a public holiday and festivities. The achievements of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first president and creator of modern Turkey are also celebrated. 

I have not been to Turkey yet (It’s certainly on the ‘must do’ list.) but have experienced a little of its fine food and culture in other parts of the world.

This year, I experienced The Rocks Aroma Festival for the first time – set against a backdrop of the magnificent Sydney Harbour and Opera House.  At the section of the festival called ‘The oasis’, everything Turkish was there to be experienced – from coffee and cup readings – to baklava and belly dancing.

Ferah is a special Turkish place we found in Newton, Sydney. From the street you don’t recognise it as a place that serves coffee; it’s first and foremost a place that sells rugs and all sorts of practical and artistic homewares from Turkey. In the space they have created at the back, you can ponder about which rug you will choose while enjoying a coffee and some baklava. We didn’t buy a rug but Paul enjoyed his Turkish coffee!

The owner, Nurettin was keen to demonstrate his electric Turkish coffee maker.  He says when you choose the right one and use it properly, your coffee will be as good as when made the traditional way. However, I like the ceremony that goes with the traditional method.

Something interesting
The first Turkish people arrived in England in the 17^th century having been freed from slavery on Spanish ships – by English pirates during the reign of Queen Elisabeth 1. This was a diplomatic move to gain favour with the Ottomans and strengthen force against the Spanish; a decision that ultimately contributed to the English defeat of the Spanish Amada and which saved England from Spanish rule.

Very finely pulverised coffee is simmered with water in a little pot known as a cezve or Ibrik. It’s most commonly known as Turkish coffee but is the kind of coffee you get all over Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Other cultures have different names for the beverage as well as the pot it’s made in.

If you’d like to have a go at making some, you will have to first of all source the right kind of coffee and invest in the special little pot.

• Choose a pot appropriate for the number of cups you want to make. They come in many different sizes.
• Fill the pot to three quarters and add a spoonful of coffee and a spoonful of sugar for each cup.
• Simmer over a gentle heat and allow the coffee to bubble to the top of the pot – three times. Remove from the heat just before it spills over the top and allow the bubbles to subside after each time.
• Pour into special little cups, making sure each gets a share of the bubbles and serve immediately with a slice of Turkish delight.

Here the traditional way of heating the coffee in hot sand is replicated using special devices. The sand is gently pushed up around the sides, making sure not to get any in the pot, of course.

The Festival of Lights is celebrated by Indians all over the world at this time of the year - and by Australians like us who, with tea lights flickering all over the house, shared a meal of curry with a small group of friends.

Diwali, the Sanskrit name for the five day festival means ‘row of little lights’.

Broadly speaking, it celebrates the triumph of good over evil but for all of India’s religions, it has its foundations in significant religious events and symbolism. It’s spiritual meaning is about ‘awareness of one’s inner light’. 

Homes are decorated with colourful lanterns and elaborate meals prepared. Gifts of sweets are exchanged between friends and family members. 

Indian sweets are typically made with some kind of nut or dried fruit made into a paste. They come in a wide range of small shapes, the most expensive being rolled in a very thin layer of silver leaf that you can eat.