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In Canada, it has been the fast-food par excellence for several decades: poutine. The dish consists of French fries, pieces of cheese, and gravy and is slowly conquering the counters of various kitchens around the world. The calorie count doesn’t say thank you after eating poutine, but it’s still a taste highlight.

What is poutine?

Poutine first went over a restaurant counter in Canada in the 1950s. Today, all sorts of what “poutine” means when translated, is considered a fast-food specialty and is even offered in Canadian McDonald’s and Burger King branches. The ingredients are relatively simple – the taste should still be bombastic.

Roughly cut potatoes are fried for classic poutine, which makes them crispy on the outside and golden in color, but soft on the inside. Cheddar is traditionally used as a piece of cheese, it does not run and squeaks when chewed. Hot gravy is then poured over the fries and cheese and the poutine is ready.

Of course, there are also restaurants in Canada that specialize in poutine and offer various variations of the classic. There, the fast-food dish is offered with sauerkraut, gherkins, minced meat, or mushrooms, for example, as well as numerous sauces.

Not an easy pleasure

A serving of poutine hits the calorie account with a whopping 500 calories. This makes poutine a pleasure that you can of course treat yourself to every now and then – but the Canadian specialty should not become a regular occurrence.

The Poutine Recipe

Ingredients for four people

  • 30 g cornstarch
  • 90 grams of butter
  • 60 grams of flour
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 550 ml beef broth
  • 300 ml chicken broth
  • pepper
  • about 10 potatoes
  • rapeseed oil
  • 300g cheddar

The preparation

  1. For the gravy, mix the cornstarch in 30ml water until it dissolves.
  2. Now melt the butter in a large pan. Then add the flour and simmer, stirring, for about five minutes until it turns golden brown.
  3. Peel the garlic cloves, cut them into small pieces, and add to the roux and sauté briefly.
  4. In another bowl, add the beef and chicken broth, stir in the roux and simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and keep warm.
  5. Wash the potatoes and cut them into finger-width wedges. Then heat plenty of rapeseed oil in a saucepan and fry the potato wedges in it until they are golden yellow in color. Then drain on kitchen paper. For that extra portion of crispiness, it can also be fried a second time.
  6. Cut the cheddar into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Now place the finished fries on a large, deep plate, pour over the gravy, and spread the pieces of cheese over them.

A festival just for coffee? Fortunately, what sounds like a dream that is far too beautiful is reality! Various European cities have been holding such meetings for a number of years, where the coffee scene can present itself to interested customers. The offer ranges from tasting coffee specialties to lectures and panel discussions about coffee consumption. Producers show their goods, traders present various machines, mills and accessories. And visitors have the opportunity to look over the shoulders of the professionals while making great latte art.

The Vienna Coffee Festival in the Ottakringer brewery

People associate Vienna with coffee, so it stands to reason that a great coffee festival is taking place here. On the premises of the Ottakringer brewery there will be street food, coffee tastings and demonstrations of new fully automatic coffee machines as part of the festival.

While listening to the sounds of various DJs and live music, you can watch baristas practicing their art and actively participate in various coffee workshops. New flavors can be tested here for three days or you can sip a coffee cocktail at the bar.

Europe’s largest coffee festival: Istanbul Coffee Festival

In September, Turkey hosts the Istanbul Coffee Festival, where the leading coffee brands can present their coffee-related products for four days. Visitors also have the opportunity to get to know well-known coffee shops in the city.

There you can try different types of coffee and let the exhibitors demonstrate different methods of preparation. Of course, there are also one or two delicacies that have nothing to do with coffee. Barista shows, concerts and even art exhibitions are also on the program every day. At workshops, visitors can learn and try out coffee-making techniques themselves.

The Amsterdam Coffee Festival

The entire Amsterdam coffee scene at a glance: At the Coffee Festival in Amsterdam, the subculture of coffee lovers celebrates itself and invites guests to delicious food, tea, chocolate and – of course – coffee. On two days in March, the site is open to the public and in the relaxed atmosphere between art and music there is space to exchange ideas about the common passion:

In the Mississippi Bar Kitchen only coffee dishes are served and during the Espresso Martini Party you can try delicious high-proof coffee drinks.

Berlin Coffee Festival

Enough of other countries! Germany also has a lot of coffee festivals to offer and does not skimp on the programme: from the end of August to the beginning of September, numerous workshops and coffee tastings are organized throughout Berlin, which are both informative and a lot of fun. At the Large Coffee Market, visitors can talk about their favorite drink and get to the bottom of the bean.

Or they listen to lectures by master baristas and coffee farmers. A varied program that also takes guests to the best coffee shops in Berlin.

Coffee festivals are a must for everyone who loves the hot bean and would like to get more involved with production, preparation and new trends. There is a lot to discover and marvel at here, so it is guaranteed never to be boring.

Have fun!

A coffee in the morning drives away sorrow and worry. But have you ever dealt with the subject of “coffee” in more detail? You can get a first impression in our “Life of a coffee bean”. Would you also like to engage physically with your favorite beverage? Then visit a coffee museum. Here you come into contact with coffee in the most diverse variations and stages – not only with the coffee powder for the espresso coffee machine. Of course, there are also various types of filter coffee machines and French press coffee makers to admire. We have listed the most famous museums in different countries for you. No matter which museum you visit, you will enter a world all of your own. We wish you a lot of fun.

Germany

The Burg roastery and its coffee museum are located in Hamburg’s warehouse district. The current premises of the museum with its espresso coffee machines and French press coffee makers used to serve as a coffee store. Visitors can explore the history of coffee in the museum – from cultivation to the cup.

Various preparation methods – filter coffee machine, fully automatic machine, espresso maker – are explained. Old billboards and coffee cans transport visitors to another time. Of course there is also the possibility to taste the coffee.

The coffee house Coffe Baum in Leipzig comprises a restaurant, various parlors, a café room and a coffee museum on four floors. The café room combines an Arabic café, a Viennese café and a French café. The exhibition rooms of the museum are located on the third floor of the coffee house. More than 500 exhibits from the history of coffee offer visitors an insight into the fascination of this hot drink. How was coffee prepared before there was a filter coffee machine? These and many other questions are answered here.

Switzerland

The coffee museum of the Swiss coffee roasting company Chicco d’Oro is located directly at the company headquarters in Belerna. The company offers a broad portfolio of coffee quality products. The museum houses exhibits from the 18th century to the present day and combines the history of the company and that of the coffee.

Historical panels guide you through the various processing methods and explain the different preparation options, such as using the French Press coffee maker. Visitors can experience the changes in coffee production and processing up close.

The Caferama is the in-house coffee museum of the Cafè Badilatti in Zuoz (near St. Moritz). The museum covers the history of coffee. But it also takes a look at the people behind the coffee cultivation and processing. Numerous exhibits – old coffee grinders, Jebenas, espresso coffee machines, French press coffee makers and much more – can be admired. At the end there is freshly roasted coffee to taste and if you like, you can buy the coffee products from the café.

Italy

Omkafe is a family run coffee roastery in Arco. In its own coffee museum, guests can travel through the history of coffee. Information about the production and roasting of different eras shows the importance of coffee. In addition to ancient traditions, the history of the company is also presented.

Various coffee machines, e.g. one of the first espresso coffee machines and filter coffee machines, invite you to take a tour.

United Arab Emirates

Anyone in Dubai can visit the Coffee Museum – entry is free. Various demonstrations of regional and international preparation methods show the diversity of coffee. There is also a library with numerous books on the subject of coffee and a gift shop. Furthermore, the rooms show a large collection of different coffee grinders, coffee pots, espresso coffee machines and other coffee accessories.

Japan

The UCC Coffee Museum in Kobe deals with the topics “History, cultivation, processing, roasting, preparation and culture of coffee” in 6 exhibition rooms. Changing monthly themes explain various aspects to visitors, for example the importance of the degree of grinding. UCC is a coffee company that performs every single aspect within the coffee production chain.

The company grows coffee on its own farms, harvests it, exports it, roasts it and sells it. The entire value chain, including a coffee tasting, is therefore reproduced in the coffee museum.

Brazil

The Santos Coffee Museum is located in the former coffee exchange in the historic center. The building alone tells a lot about the coffee trade. A great deal of attention is paid to the historical and cultural significance of coffee cultivation for Brazil. A wide range of photos, drawings, antique harvesters and more take visitors back to a time before modern espresso coffee machines existed. A cafeteria then provides visitors with aromatic coffee specialties.

The world of coffee is exciting, diverse and full of records that make even the experts and coffee machine manufacturers drop their jaws. Coffee sets a record on its own: with over 800 flavors, it is one of the most aromatic foods in the world. In addition, there are many curiosities and superlatives: Which is the most expensive coffee in the world? Which fully automatic coffee machine manufacturer has managed to produce the smallest fully automatic coffee machine in the world? And who owns the largest collection of coffee pots in the world? We introduce you to the strangest records about coffee and coffee machines.

1. The most expensive coffee in the world

The most expensive type of coffee in the world is by far the Indonesian Kopi Luwak. The so-called “cat coffee” is sold at a kilo price of the equivalent of 800 to 1200 euros and is considered an absolute luxury coffee by coffee lovers and experts such as coffee machine manufacturers.

But the somewhat – let’s call it “unusual” – production of the extraordinary coffee variety at least partly justifies the high price: the raw coffee cherries are fed to Indonesian civets, which can only digest the pulp, but not the beans. However, their stomach enzymes remove bitter substances from the bean, so that the roasted coffee has a rather soft and mild taste.

The second most expensive coffee in the world is based on a very similar principle: in the case of Black Ivory for 850 euros per kilo, it is Thai elephants through whose digestive tract the coffee beans migrate. The resulting coffee is only served in a few exclusive resorts in northern Thailand and the Maldives.

2. The largest collection of coffee pots

Once you have made your favorite coffee with the professional coffee machine, it must of course be filled into a container. Most people use a coffee pot for this – nothing special it seems. But Robert Dahl, a Rostock entrepreneur, probably had a great love for the coffee pot, because he has been collecting the most diverse types of crockery for many years.

Large, small, round, thick, decorated with gold rims or flowers – Robert Dahl has them all. Or at least very many. His collection of around 800 pieces in 2007 has increased fortyfold and has grown to over 32,000 copies. This makes Dahl the clear world record holder.

3. Swiss coffee machine manufacturer builds the world’s fastest espresso machine

Even if the Swiss are generally better known for taking a little more time with all things in life – there is no trace of comfort in the invention of the coffee machine manufacturers A. Schurr, J. Lüönd and A. Lütold.

The wondrous espresso machine actually manages to produce a proud 11.5 liters of espresso in one minute, which, according to the coffee machine manufacturer, is of course very enjoyable. With the “Swiss Espressi Extractor”, the coffee machine manufacturers have thus created the fastest professional coffee machine in the world.

4. World Barista Championship: There can only be one

Every year, the national champions of the barista championships meet to host the world championships: who will get the crown? In 15 minutes, the coffee experts demand everything from the professional coffee machine and make four espressos, four cappuccini and four of their own coffee creations.

These are then evaluated by a jury in terms of taste, appearance, aroma and consistency. Jooyeon Jeon from South Korea won in 2019, and in 2020 the World Barista Championship will be held in Melbourne, Australia.

5. The miracle of the fully automatic coffee machine manufacturer: The smallest fully automatic coffee machine in the world

It is only 180 millimeters wide, the smallest fully automatic coffee machine in the world. The fully automatic coffee machine manufacturer who has managed to do this is called KOENIG and once again comes from Switzerland.

Despite its small size, the coffee machine has all the components that a professional coffee machine needs: Patented brewing system, touchscreen, precision conical grinder, height-adjustable coffee spout – in short, everything that coffee lovers could wish for from the coffee machine manufacturer. The biggest advantage: This device really fits in every kitchen.

6. The biggest cappuccino in the world

The biggest cappuccino in the world that was ever made is a real giant: 2000 liters of cappuccino were prepared in Zagreb by 1000 baristas using a professional coffee machine and then poured into a large cup. We only have one question: Who was allowed to drink the giant cappuccino again…?

7. Time for a coffee party

Better, faster, more expensive – why not set a world record with comfort? That’s what 8162 coffee fans thought when they met in 2009 in Cologne’s youth park for a coffee party. Right at the front: Gisela – the unmistakable fictional character of the comedian Hape Kerkeling. What fun!