Can you name an Italian coffee? Espresso. Lavazzo. Lavazzo is the one I have seen most often advertised by their signboards on the pavement (US word sidewalk) outside coffee shops in NW London. At the Business Centre near the Angel station in Islington, one of the sponsors of the event was Lavazzo and they held tasting events in one of two talks areas.
Registering and Seating Mistake
My business partner and I arrived too early to register. After registering I wanted to take my place early, knowing that on previous occasions I had arrived late and got no seat. I made the mistake of allowing myself to be persuaded to use my time going to see a few stalls, and wandered like an arrow away from the area instead of circling it and watching as the seats filled up and going in when half of them were full.
Although my business partner wanted to save me a seat, two people from the Lavazza company or area took seats which the organiser had allocated to guests. Despite registering, that was not enough effort on my part. The limited number of seats went to those registered on a first come first served basis. My partner phoned me but by the time I raced back along the hall no seats were left. I tried to ask a nearby stall holder if I could borrow a seat. He said he needed it for anybody who turned to talk to me. But I could sit on it until somebody turned up. I thanked him and sat down.
I had a seat. But I was too far to hear the speaker. So I went and stood on the side of the workshop.
Entertaining Talk Mentioned Croissants
I enjoyed the talk. I already knew the story of the Turkish invaders, who were supposedly discovered tunneling into Vienna, and thwarted, and the bakers celebrated by baking a croissant, in the shape of the crescent on the Turkish flag. (If the Turks had won, perhaps the canny bakers would have sold the croissant for the opposite reason. Since many people say the story is a myth, as somebody once said to me, quoting a common quotation phrase, why let the truth get in the way of a good story.)
About half way through this entrancing entertainment my colleague signalled to me to swap places. As he left he told me that he was annoyed that the drinks were supposed to be paired but that was not happening early enough, nor in time to serve hot coffee with the food selection offered.
Hot and Cold Coffee
The solo drinks machine served three cups at a time, so the tables were given drinks one table at a time. It took at least ten minutes to serve all the tables. (It was in plastic disposable containers the size of espresso cups and half full as is normal size for espresso in Italy.) By the time the speaker finished his lengthy introductions and suggested matching the first set of coffee with the food the coffee of those served first had gone cold.
Food Pairing
The food selection was liquorice, figs, milk and dark chocolate. The two big surprises for me were the food and the coffee.
I Applaud Iced Coffee
By the time I arrived the first three coffees, black coffees, originally hot drinks had been drunk by my colleague. What I got was a later serving of an iced milky coffee which seemed to have a frothy top. It was delicious. And it went perfectly with the liquorice. The liquorice was in cylinders like the sort which used to come in L i c o r i c e Allsorts.
Delights of Soft Liquorice
The brand name for the UK confectionary should be L i q u o r i c e All sorts (only one space before the capital A). I am using spaces to defeat the spellchecker which despite my ignoring suggestions which flash up and flash off before I can click on the x to reject suggestions, has once so far succeeded in changing the word to Louise when I was not watching.)
Unlike the UK confectionary, which had hard liquorice, the one served by Lavazzo was sort. Unlike the hard one which I did not like, the soft one was wonderful. I would like to know where to buy it. When I find out, I shall tell you in a post on this website Travel with Angela Lansbury on blogger.com
Look for Lavazzo Cups
My colleague had noticed and taken a goodie bag under the table containing information on Lavazza, samples of coffee and one small porcelain coffee cup, Italian espresso size. I was disappointed not to get a complimentary cup. It means at a break from work only one of us gets the cup, or we use it in succession. But he said he likes a larger espresso serving anyway.
Espresso All Day in England
Another interesting finding from the talk by the chef promoting Lavazzo, was that although in Italy it is still the fashion to have espresso only as an after dinner pick me up in the evening, in the UK espresso in drunk earlier in the day, after lunch and even at breakfast time. (In coffee shops as well as at home.)
Coffee Shops Make Good Business
We also heard the history of coffee shops. When they started, as is often the case now, people met to have business over coffee. One of the coffee shops, Lloyds, became what is now still the biggest insurance company in the UK. Another coffee shop became Sotheby's selling, auctioning antiques and high price furniture and furnishings.
Coffee Eclipsed By Tea
Tea was introduced and took over as the drink of choice, as you will see in British WWI and WWII films where in time of trouble or dramatic comedy the heroes and heroines of the day sit down to chat and recover over a 'nice cup of tea'. But in our era coffee has again become a favoured drink after dinner and throughout the day.
Coffee Revival
To my surprise I did not like any of the sweet chocolate or fruits with a strong coffee. They seemed to me to match a sweet coffee. You should try this at home. Match up your dark and light and strong black or weak, sweet white coffees with dad and light chocolate and figs and soft liquorice.
To sum up, the things I learned were:
1 The Italians still drink espresso after evening dinner in tiny cups. Lavazzo produce small Italian size espresso cups so look for them when Lavazzo put on a promotion.
2 The croissant is supposedly an imitation of the crescent on the Turkish flag when Viennese bakers celebrated surviving a threatened invasion.
3 Arrive early at workshops.
4 Look around or ask for a take home 'goody bag'.
5 Taste and buy soft liquorice.
6 Make at home or order in coffee bars and restaurants a cold, frothy sweet white coffee made from Lavazzo coffee.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
Registering and Seating Mistake
My business partner and I arrived too early to register. After registering I wanted to take my place early, knowing that on previous occasions I had arrived late and got no seat. I made the mistake of allowing myself to be persuaded to use my time going to see a few stalls, and wandered like an arrow away from the area instead of circling it and watching as the seats filled up and going in when half of them were full.
Although my business partner wanted to save me a seat, two people from the Lavazza company or area took seats which the organiser had allocated to guests. Despite registering, that was not enough effort on my part. The limited number of seats went to those registered on a first come first served basis. My partner phoned me but by the time I raced back along the hall no seats were left. I tried to ask a nearby stall holder if I could borrow a seat. He said he needed it for anybody who turned to talk to me. But I could sit on it until somebody turned up. I thanked him and sat down.
I had a seat. But I was too far to hear the speaker. So I went and stood on the side of the workshop.
Entertaining Talk Mentioned Croissants
I enjoyed the talk. I already knew the story of the Turkish invaders, who were supposedly discovered tunneling into Vienna, and thwarted, and the bakers celebrated by baking a croissant, in the shape of the crescent on the Turkish flag. (If the Turks had won, perhaps the canny bakers would have sold the croissant for the opposite reason. Since many people say the story is a myth, as somebody once said to me, quoting a common quotation phrase, why let the truth get in the way of a good story.)
About half way through this entrancing entertainment my colleague signalled to me to swap places. As he left he told me that he was annoyed that the drinks were supposed to be paired but that was not happening early enough, nor in time to serve hot coffee with the food selection offered.
Hot and Cold Coffee
The solo drinks machine served three cups at a time, so the tables were given drinks one table at a time. It took at least ten minutes to serve all the tables. (It was in plastic disposable containers the size of espresso cups and half full as is normal size for espresso in Italy.) By the time the speaker finished his lengthy introductions and suggested matching the first set of coffee with the food the coffee of those served first had gone cold.
Food Pairing
The food selection was liquorice, figs, milk and dark chocolate. The two big surprises for me were the food and the coffee.
I Applaud Iced Coffee
By the time I arrived the first three coffees, black coffees, originally hot drinks had been drunk by my colleague. What I got was a later serving of an iced milky coffee which seemed to have a frothy top. It was delicious. And it went perfectly with the liquorice. The liquorice was in cylinders like the sort which used to come in L i c o r i c e Allsorts.
Delights of Soft Liquorice
The brand name for the UK confectionary should be L i q u o r i c e All sorts (only one space before the capital A). I am using spaces to defeat the spellchecker which despite my ignoring suggestions which flash up and flash off before I can click on the x to reject suggestions, has once so far succeeded in changing the word to Louise when I was not watching.)
Unlike the UK confectionary, which had hard liquorice, the one served by Lavazzo was sort. Unlike the hard one which I did not like, the soft one was wonderful. I would like to know where to buy it. When I find out, I shall tell you in a post on this website Travel with Angela Lansbury on blogger.com
Look for Lavazzo Cups
My colleague had noticed and taken a goodie bag under the table containing information on Lavazza, samples of coffee and one small porcelain coffee cup, Italian espresso size. I was disappointed not to get a complimentary cup. It means at a break from work only one of us gets the cup, or we use it in succession. But he said he likes a larger espresso serving anyway.
Espresso All Day in England
Another interesting finding from the talk by the chef promoting Lavazzo, was that although in Italy it is still the fashion to have espresso only as an after dinner pick me up in the evening, in the UK espresso in drunk earlier in the day, after lunch and even at breakfast time. (In coffee shops as well as at home.)
Coffee Shops Make Good Business
We also heard the history of coffee shops. When they started, as is often the case now, people met to have business over coffee. One of the coffee shops, Lloyds, became what is now still the biggest insurance company in the UK. Another coffee shop became Sotheby's selling, auctioning antiques and high price furniture and furnishings.
Coffee Eclipsed By Tea
Tea was introduced and took over as the drink of choice, as you will see in British WWI and WWII films where in time of trouble or dramatic comedy the heroes and heroines of the day sit down to chat and recover over a 'nice cup of tea'. But in our era coffee has again become a favoured drink after dinner and throughout the day.
Coffee Revival
To my surprise I did not like any of the sweet chocolate or fruits with a strong coffee. They seemed to me to match a sweet coffee. You should try this at home. Match up your dark and light and strong black or weak, sweet white coffees with dad and light chocolate and figs and soft liquorice.
To sum up, the things I learned were:
1 The Italians still drink espresso after evening dinner in tiny cups. Lavazzo produce small Italian size espresso cups so look for them when Lavazzo put on a promotion.
2 The croissant is supposedly an imitation of the crescent on the Turkish flag when Viennese bakers celebrated surviving a threatened invasion.
3 Arrive early at workshops.
4 Look around or ask for a take home 'goody bag'.
5 Taste and buy soft liquorice.
6 Make at home or order in coffee bars and restaurants a cold, frothy sweet white coffee made from Lavazzo coffee.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.
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