SO Nespresso #32 Melbourne - english edition

Melbourne the original flat white • trailblazing chefs • bush treasures • saving koalas • coffees of the world • gourmet recipes • summery iced coffee • new milky ways • recycled capsules city guide the favourite places of inspiring personalities Brothers Adam and Christian Ferrante, founders of the Rose Street Market

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Frédéric Stucin

editorial

Cream of the Urban Crop Dear Readers, The people of Melbourne have something to celebrate - they live in the world’s best city.

And they’re not the only ones to say so – anyone who has ever had the good fortune to go there agrees. What a pleasure to be caressed by the sun’s rays sitting outside a café in the Fitzroy district. To happily lose your way in the cool shade of the lively laneways, where you can feel the city’s pulse. When it comes to dining, Australia’s second-most-populous city is heaven on earth. With all the treasures that come with its migratory past, the capital of the state of Victoria is truly a melting pot that boasts incomparable culinary diversity. What’s more, it is now eagerly rediscovering the riches to be found in its indigenous ingredients.

Of course, we must not also forget the love the city’s inhabitants express on a daily basis for coffee. In their own way, the roasted beans are the object of widespread worship.

There are 2,500 establishments where this black gold serves as the main currency.

The roasting smell, mingled with the scent of warm milk, permeates the air at every turn. There is not a single street without a barista poised to serve you the perfect espresso, a refreshing iced coffee or a delicious, artistic flat white, the city’s signature beverage. Such harmonious well-being did not develop by chance - Melbourne’s residents are committed to defending it. Like the volunteers keeping the Yarra River clean as it snakes between the city’s buildings before merging with the waters of Port Phillip. Like zoologist Lizzie Corke, who created a biodiversity sanctuary within the enchanting scenery along the Great Ocean Road, itself an essential excursion that brushes by the gateway to the metropolis.

Melburnians deep respect for the environment is something we share. For example, Nespresso hasdeveloped aluminium recycling networks for used capsules so their metal may reincarnate as a pen or bicycle. Our new Reviving Origins programme supports another kind of renaissance: the rebirth of coffee-growing lands that have suffered at the hands of man. The first stage of this virtuous journey takes us to Colombia and Zimbabwe, where we meet courageous local coffee growers.

In these pages, Nespresso also unveils ‘Barista Creations’, a new range of coffees designed to blend perfectly with milk. Reasons galore to leaf through this magazine beneath the summer sun, sipping a refreshing Flat White Over Ice or Long Black Over Ice, two recipes inspired by Australian lifestyle and so easy to make with our two new capsules designed to celebrate coffee’s warm relationship with ice cubes.

To experience a southern summer no matter where you are.

May your reading and your coffee both offer you memorable moments.

Jean-Marc Duvoisin Chief Executive Officer Nestlé Nespresso S.A.

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contents

SO NESPRESSO is published by the Nestlé Nespresso S.A Group.

Avenue d’Ouchy 4-6, 1006 Lausanne - Switzerland.

Publication Director Jean-Marc Duvoisin.

Executive Editor Lise Peneveyre.

Concept/Production Les Digitalistes, 9 rue Emilio Castelar 75012 Paris, France Tel.: +33 (0)1 43 44 55 20 contact@lesdigitalistes.com lesdigitalistes.com Editor-in-Chief Boris Coridian.

Art Director Virginie Oudard.

Coordinator Sophie Bouniot.

Editorial Secretary Joël Métreau.

Collaborators for this Issue Mickaël A. Bandassak, Jean Berthelot de La Glétais, Julien Blanc-Gras, Célia Callois, Nathalie Carnet, Audrey Cosson, Gwenn Dubourthoumieu, Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier, Pauline Gabinari, Virginie Garnier, Nadia HamamMarty, Leesa O’Reilly, Reload Agency, Frédéric Stucin, Kris Washusen.

Translation TagLine.

Photolitho Compos Juliot.

Printer Mohn media Mohndruck Gmbh.

Advertising MHD SA Chemin du Bugnon 1 / CP 32 1803 Chardonne - Switzerland.

Customer Relationship Manager: Dominique Breschan.

Tel.: + 41 (0) 79 818 27 55 dominique.breschan@mhdsa.ch

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This magazine and City Guide are printed on paper that is certified:

© Copyright 2019 Nestlé Nestlé Nespresso S.A. All rights reserved. Nespresso, the names of the various Nespresso coffee varieties and the Nespresso logos mentioned in SO NESPRESSO are trademarks of the Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. that may be registered in certain countries.

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Editorial

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Flat White: The Favourite

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Bush ingredients make a comeback in Australian cuisine

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A trip down the Yarra

Melbourne’s five senses Artist, rocker, pastry chef, blogger: why they love their city so The chefs of Melbourne: gourmet pioneers

The Conservation Ecology Centre: a sanctuary for local wildlife

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54 60 68

A coffee-culture melting pot

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The new Barista Creations range: milk meets its match

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What will your capsules become when you recycle them?

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Chill out this summer with iced coffee

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Cooking Lesson: Braised pork ribs in coffee sauce and iced Ristretto Decaffeinato coffee

Coffee Cuisine In Zimbabwe and Colombia, two coffees rise again

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five senses The smell can wrap itself around you anywhere. From the corner coffee shop to a stranger’s travel mug as they hurry past you to work. Here in the ’coffee capital’, everyone’s relationship with this beverage is personal.

inspiration

Photos Frédéric Stucin — By Julien Blanc-Gras

vibration

What other city can boast of having an AC/DC Lane? Behind the big names, from Nick Cave to Sia, Melbourne is the hip and happy home of a flourishing music scene. It hosts more than 60,000 concerts a year, like this set

by DJ Lotus Moonchild at the Section 8.

During Melbourne Music Week, a live music safari invites everyone to follow the sounds well into the night, on bar stages or at alley’s end.

Bodies, liberated by the beat, undulate; souls, seduced by song, communicate.

five senses

horizon

These are not just beach huts. They’re a piece of seaside heritage. On Brighton Beach in the affluent South Melbourne suburb, the dozens of ’boxes’ in a kaleidoscope of colours have attained icon status. Sunday bathers and tourists from across the globe capture themselves on camera before this festival of brights.

The gaily coloured facades are reflected in the shimmering waters of Port Phillip Bay, mirroring the distant reflections of downtown’s skyscrapers. One of the most beautiful panoramas in the southern hemisphere.

five senses It’s Melbournians’ favourite savoury snack.

The foodstuff without which no brunch is worthy of the name: mashed avocado – Australian-grown, of course! Accompanied by sliced feta or a poached egg, a dash of lemon juice, a pinch of chopped herbs or a crown of sprouts. Or just plain. The simplicityto-pleasure ratio cannot be matched. Not to mention that this visual delight is so fun and fashionable to share on the social networks! It’s more than a dish – it’s an emblem.

treat

meet

Here, sport is a religion. Some even say they’re ‘going to church’ when visiting the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the legendary stadium that hosts as many concerts as Australian football matches. Every weekend, the vast expanses of green are peppered with players. Just like at Fawkner Park, where the Middle Park Riders’ batsman practices hitting the ball before facing Sacred Heart in a match for the local cricket championship.

It’s all in the touch.

Adam and Christian Ferrante, art animators.

Kate Reid, pastry professional.

Thoroughly Modern Melbourne Pastry chef, blogger, storyteller and pop-rock singer, these Australians have all blazed their own trail in a city that rewards ambition and supports creativity.

By Julien Blanc-Gras and Boris Coridian Photos FrĂŠdĂŠric Stucin

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trailblazers

Lucy Feagins, trend tracker.

Alex Lahey, roguish rocker.

Im nostiunti saped mo officid

Mitch Tambo, authentic artist.

You’ll find their favourite places in the City Guide.

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trailblazers

With their art market, Adam and Christian Ferrante keep Fitzroy’s bohemian heart beating

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p until 2003, the Rose Street Artists’ Market was a junkyard and maze of wrecked cars. It’s hard to believe this was the case when walking through it today. In the courtyard, with walls decorated with enormous frescoes, or beneath the roof of the restored warehouse, it’s a bubbling wellspring of creation, stormed each weekend by a bohemian crowd, a human hipster wave in which tattoos and beards are legion. This junkyard of old belonged to the father of Adam and Christian Ferrante. When his father retired, Adam, an artist on the lookout for projects, made him a deal: “We’ll take the place over and do something else with it.” The son cleaned up the site and invited friends to exhibit their works there. His brother Christian, dissatisfied with his job in advertising, joined him in the venture… and it took off. The recipe was simple: handcrafted local art and design. You can find everything from paintings to jewellery, clothing to floral arrangements. A concept inspired by Adam’s travels to places like Brooklyn and Berlin, helping artists get exposure and helping buyers acquire affordable, one-of-a-kind pieces outside the traditional art-sales networks. Fifteen years later, the Rose Street Artists’ Market has become an institution in the Fitzroy district, the epicentre of Melbourne’s vibrant cultural life.

The brothers’ market has spurred the growth of this sector. As Christian explains, “The Rose Street Artists’ Market is the city’s atmosphere in a nutshell.” Initiative, creativity, conviviality. At Young Bloods, the coffee shop adjacent to the market, Christian serves us a flat white on which he draws a floral pattern in a display of expert latte art. Coffee and art go hand in hand, and what else would you expect from these descendants of an Italian family from Abruzzo? “From the day we opened, we had an espresso machine to serve coffee to the public.”

The Ferrantes now manage other outlets and are pursuing numerous collaborations. For them, change is a constant and they now want to replace the warehouse with stacked containers to house workshops. Fitzroy, land of reinvention. _

Adam and Christian turned a warehouse into a sales showroom where handcrafted objects are the rule; like jewellery, paintings and clothing.

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“The Rose Street Artists’ Market is Melbourne’s atmosphere in a nutshell.”

The adjoining café, the Young Bloods Diner, is equally creative and friendly.

“From the day we opened, we had an espresso machine to serve coffee to the public,” say the Ferrante brothers.

Prior to 2003, the place was a junkyard run by Adam and Christian’s father.

You’ll find their favourite places in the City Guide.

trailblazers

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Rocker Alex Lahey lies back and electrifies the music scene

his is the story of a young woman who sells her old Toyota to produce her first record on her own label, sees success in her country and goes on tour around the world. This is the story of Alex Lahey, a girl with a guitar, who gets crowds onto their dancing feet with the sound of her independent power-pop. Her album I Love You Like a Brother, released in 2017, has been heaped with media acclaim for its abundant post-adolescent energy. The lyrics are about college, odd jobs, heartbreak, tomorrow’s carefree party plans, all tinged with humour and typical, easy-going Melbourne spirit. “These are regular stories everyone can relate to. Because I’m just a regular person. A normal person with a weird job,” says the 26-year-old Australian, born in Egypt to an English father and a Greek mother. “That’s what makes me

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feel like a true Melbournian. Because this city was built on immigration and diversity. We’ve got a strong identity.” Alex raves about the spirit of tolerance here, which is reflected in the music scene. “The groups support one another – we’re not competitors.” Alex, influenced by the songwriting of Bruce Springsteen, Feist and Arctic Monkeys, just released her second album, which she recorded in just one month with her producer. The new release is entitled The Best of Luck Club and expresses greater emotional contrast than the previous record. “There’s a lot of vulnerability in these songs, a darker side fed by the solitude of the tours. It’s not always easy to manage. Some go into therapy. Others party. Still, others write songs. I do all of that,” she laughs. To relax, Alex can count on her roots. “I’ve been lucky to travel just about everywhere and I can honestly say that Melbourne is the best city in the world. It’s big enough to offer opportunities, but small enough to let you stay connected to a community. When times get tough, we all stick together.

It’s a vibrant city – with a very bright future.” _

In the Richmond district, Bakehouse Studios sees hundreds of musicians pass through each week.

“This city is built on immigration and diversity.”

Her songs tell of heartbreak, odd jobs, tomorrow’s carefree party plans.

You’ll find her favourite places in the City Guide.

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Kate Reid, a former Formula 1 racing engineer, is now in poll position with her croissant shop

The Lune Lab is inside this glass cube at a constant temperature of 18°C (64.4° F).

T You’ll find her favourite places in the City Guide.

he line wraps all the way around the building. On a quiet street in the Fitzroy district, these customers are all waiting for the same reason: the desire to bite into flaky, puffy, perfectly buttery pastries baked at Lune.

The creator of these sweet gems is bustling around with her employees through a cloud of delicious smells.

In just five years, Kate Reid, a woman with a contagious smile and impeccable style, has become a member of Melbourne’s food royalty thanks to the perfection of her recipes with origins far from Australia’s shores.

“There were croissants in Melbourne before I opened Lune, of course. But the places that sold them were bakeries. You can know everything about making excellent bread and still not master all of the very technical steps of croissant cookery,” she says. Such attention to detail is not so far removed from Kate’s previous profession.

Before making the Rolls Royce of croissants, the young woman was a Formula 1 aerodynamicist. “Making these pastries brought me joy at a time in my life that

trailblazers Lune makes croissants, kouign-amann, pain au chocolat, and more.

“I realised that my pastries made people happy.”

The young woman is now baking hybrid creations like cruffins: half-croissant, half-muffin.

The croissants prepared by Kate Reid and her staff have earned this establishment an international reputation.

Kate Reid applies the same attention to detail to these sweet gems as she did to race cars.

wasn’t very joyful. I started making them at first just for me and my family. Then I realised that these pastries made people happy.” Idling at a crossroads, Kate took a spontaneous turn in her life. She went to train in Paris at Du Pain et des Idées, the crème de la crème of bakeries. How does she explain Melbourne’s craze for her creations? Coffee has something to do with it: “In Paris, I always had a pastry with my cup of coffee. I wanted to serve a pastry in my own city that was as delicious as the beverages made by local baristas.” How does she manage her now-international reputation, since The New York Times wrote that her croissant surpasses all others?

“Of course, it’s not the best croissant in the world. But, for me personally, it’s my favourite among all the croissants I’ve tasted around the world,” says the entrepreneur, without a trace of false modesty. Will her flaky creations cross the borders and seas? “Why not? With a second shop in Melbourne, we’ve proven that we can reproduce the same quality. We’re thinking of Tokyo now and London.”

The road to success has already been rolled out. _

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trailblazers

With her blog The Design Files, Lucy Feagins watches tomorrow’s trends

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or seven years, Lucy Feagins worked as a film designer. But she was bored.

“Like all creative people, I had a personal project on the side,” explains this elegant thirty-something woman.

In 2008, she put her rudimentary site online: “Blogs were just beginning back then, and Instagram didn’t exist yet. I was reading the American and British blogs, because Australia didn’t have that.

I didn’t have a specific plan, but it took hold.”

The Design Files is now an influential platform with a seven-person staff and a national audience of nearly 200,000 monthly readers. The initial editorial focus on interior architecture (“because everyone likes to see what’s inside the houses”) has expanded to encompass culture, food and family. Based in Collingwood, “an old and rather grungy industrial estate that’s now really cool,” The Design Files is riding the wave of Melbourne’s growth and creative energy. “The city’s very prolific – there’s a new restaurant or café opening every week. Our site helps promote this overall lifestyle while supporting that kind of business.

There’s a real Melbournian entrepreneurial spirit.”

Lucy was born in London to a British father and an Australian mother and has lived here since the age of 13. “We’re far away from everything, but we travel a lot and we’re aware of our place in the world. We like to think of ourselves as a European city in Australia. And the one where you eat the best.” Coffee is part of this culture of taste.

“It’s second nature for us,” says Lucy, who typically gets a takeaway skinny latte on the corner before biking to the office. Once there, she starts working on diversification projects. The premises have already hosted temporary exhibitions and now Lucy’s planning the upcoming The Design Files Design Awards. She ultimately wants to make her brand an online store. “To be part of the culture, instead of just documenting it.” _

As the social networks emerged, the former film designer quickly put her own rudimentary site online.

You’ll find her favourite places in the City Guide.

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“There’s a new restaurant or café opening every week.

Our site helps promote this overall lifestyle.”

The Design Files’ initial editorial focus was interior design before expanding to culture, food, family.

The thirty-something woman is thinking of opening her own online store.

This medium’s national audience is close to 200,000 monthly readers.

After growing up in the bush and studying in Sydney, he sees himself as a bridge between histories.

In the Docklands district, Mitch Tambo shows off his favourite instrument, the didgeridoo.

Mitch Tambo the multitalented artist who shares the depth and diversity of Aboriginal cultures 22

trailblazers

“I’m the descendant of a 65,000-year-old tradition.”

You’ll find his favourite places in the City Guide.

As on the cover of his first record, Mitch Tambo wears ceremonial face and body paint.

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n the cover of Guurrama-Li, his first record, Mitch Tambo’s face is covered in ceremonial paint. But when he greets us at Melbourne’s docks, he’s wearing a suit and looks like he just stepped away from a men’s fashion shoot. He introduces himself: “I’m a proud Gamilaraay/Birri Gubba man [two Aboriginal nations].”

Mitch Tambo is a singer, dancer and musician. He plays the didgeridoo, or yidaki in the Aboriginal language.

He is also an actor, television host, model, and educator. A man of many talents who straddles two different worlds. “I’m the descendant of a 65,000-year-old tradition, one of the oldest in the world. And I was born in a country that’s only 200 years old.” After growing up in the bush, Mitch Tambo studied at the University of Sydney. “I’ve lived in the city for a long time. There came a point when I felt the need to get back in touch with who I am.” So Mitch uprooted and returned home to Tamworth to receive traditional initiations. Since then, he sees himself as a bridge between histories. He carries out presentations at schools, companies, festivals, abroad and in Aboriginal communities, “to remind people of who they are and where they come from” and also abroad: the Vatican, Japan, the Republic of Vanuatu, Spain. One of his objectives is to dismantle stubborn stereotypes.

“People know very little about our history. We don’t spend our time walking half-naked in the bush with boomerangs. Not all Aborigines have black skin. We’re a mosaic of nations, as we’ve always been. There are more than a thousand of these nations, with distinctly different languages. Australia was already multicultural, even before the Europeans arrived.” But Mitch doesn’t get caught in a victim mindset – he wants to focus on positive things. “It’s about celebrating our existence and sharing our cultures.” That’s probably why he chose Melbourne, the city where the whole world gathers on a single corner.

The day before our meeting, Mitch Tambo made a TV appearance as a judge of a talent contest. After our photo shoot, he drove away, guiding his car between the skyscrapers, painted as his ancestors were many thousands of years ago. Eternal and contemporary. _

local passion

Flat White: The Favourite 24

local passion

Melbourne lays claim to the title of coffee capital of the world – people here drink it everywhere. But the city’s inhabitants have a special soft spot for an espresso with steamed milk.

A status that is a story in itself.

By Julien Blanc-Gras Photos Mickaël A. Bandassak Illustration Célia Callois

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local passion

The Seven Seeds, the first café to showcase the roasting process.

Shri Bhagwandas, owner of Bicycle Thieves.

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here are friends chatting.

Young people behind their computers. Mums with their strollers. Each has a cup on his or her table.

It’s just another morning at Bicycle Thieves, a café in the Northcote district with large bay windows, light wood and minimalist decor. Beside the espresso machine is a barista: focused gaze, precise movements that are calmly executed and have been repeated thousands of times. Nothing is left to chance. We are in Melbourne, where making coffee is serious business. “We have scales and weigh every order.

We have to ensure the same quality every time,” says the café’s owner, Shri Bhagwandas. For this is an exacting clientele: “People here know coffee, they’re connoisseurs.” The percolator has a button labelled ‘flat white’ – that’s

You’ll find Shri Bhagwandas’s favourite places in the City Guide.

At Tulip Coffee on Degraves Street.

for one dose of espresso and two of steamed – but not boiled – milk served in a ceramic cup, respecting the protocol. More robust than a latte, milder than a cappuccino. And ‘flat’ meaning with less – and more delicate – milk froth. It’s the most popular coffee recipe in Melbourne, the emblem of a city that has proclaimed itself ‘the coffee capital of the world’. There are 2,500 places to buy coffee here, one every 50 metres in the city centre. It’s much more than a beverage: coffee has become a major facet of the culture, the city’s identity.

To the point of being a tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world. How did this happen?

Born in Oceania

Let’s go back in time to see how this story began. Coffee was introduced in 1788 with the ‘First Fleet’, the name given to the eleven ships that sailed here to establish the first European colony in Australia. The country’s Temperance movement in the 19th century, designed to restrict alcohol

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consumption, led to many ‘coffee palaces’ opening to offer an alternative stimulant. Back then, coffee was not often consumed and much like in England, tea was preferred. It was not until after World War II that the coffee culture really got off the ground.

Many Italian immigrants landed on the country’s shores with the bare necessities, justa few clothes… and a coffee machine. Lygon Street is a thriving hive of establishments that serve genuine, full-bodied espressos. Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar, which opened on Bourke Street in 1954, is a more recent embodiment of this history. It is a living institution and invariably packed, despite the recent tragedy: one of its owners, Sisto Malaspina, was murdered during the terrorist attack on that street last November. At Pellegrini’s counter, we meet with coffee consultant Maria

Paoli, the woman who in 2004, created the Melbourne Coffee Tour, the first of its kind in the world. “I went to the tourism leaders and said, ‘We may not have a Harbour Bridge like Sydney does, but we have coffee.’” Taking this spin with Maria makes one’s head do the same: origins, equipment, chemistry, acidity, market price influences – this enthusiastic expert has every aspect of the subject on the tip of her tongue.

So where does the flat white come from, then? It seems a simple enough question, but the answer incites controversy. Both Australians and New Zealanders claim paternity rights.

The first use of the term ‘flat white’ is said to have appeared on a menu at Sydney’s Moors Espresso Bar in 1985. Or, according to other sources, in Canberra that same year. New Zealander baristas in Auckland claim to have invented the blend in their search for an alternative to latte. Others in Wellington assert that it was born of a failed cappuccino attempt. There is also talk of a cow disease that prevented the milk from properly frothing that year. What we do know for certain, is that the flat white appeared in Oceania and then discreetly conquered the planet, from Berlin to Brooklyn and beyond.

Waves fill the cups The world’s changing perceptions of coffee have been termed ‘waves.’

The first wave was defined by coffee’s mass introduction into households, often in instant or freeze-dried form, up until the 1960s.

Then in the late 20th century, coffee diversified particularly with the appearance of dedicated coffee outlets and greater consumption in and out of social contexts: this was the second wave.

The third wave, in progress today, is coffee becoming a sophisticated drink with the support of baristas, coffee craftspersons and experts.

Nespresso has contributed to the development of this wave by virtue of its expertise, informing the public of coffee’s many origins while offering diversity for the senses; a pioneering role that has now established coffee consumption as an experience in its own right.

Barista stars

Though the flat white has crossed decades (and oceans) relatively unchanged, the way people drink coffee in general has always been in a state of flux. “Gastronomy changes over time and so does our palate. And coffee keeps pace with that,” says Maria Paoli. The 2000s coincided with the start of what’s known as ‘the third wave’ (see opposite). “We started to take a genuine interest in coffee’s origins, experimenting with flavours, creating blends.” Melbourne’s leading figure of this movement is Mark Dundon, a successful entrepreneur, founder of Seven Seeds and several other businesses. “He was the first to showcase the roasting process where the coffee was actually consumed. It reminds the customer of the labour behind the brew – someone picked the beans, the liquid in the cup comes

Maria Paoli, creator of the Melbourne Coffee Tour, in front of Pelligrini’s.

with their carefully cultivated looks.

In Melbourne, hipster aesthetics and the coffee cult dovetail even more than elsewhere.

Which may explain why the mighty U.S. franchises haven’t been met with the same success here that they have in other major cities. Rebuffing conformity is part of the city’s DNA: “Melbourne’s creative and eclectic,” says Maria, “and everyone wants to stand out in his or her own way. The same goes for the coffee – the more distinctive you are, the more you are seen as being Melbournian.”

Asian influence

Hipster aesthetics and the coffee cult dovetail even more here than elsewhere.

from somewhere,” Maria continues, explaining how cafés now sell the history that led to the aroma.

Another revolution is the advent of social networks, true game-changers in the 2010s. Businesses simply must have a presence on Instagram these days. Hence the importance of an outlet’s general design and, more specifically, design in the form of latte art, the practice of tracing small, fleeting drawings in the flat white’s fine foam.

It’s a must in the barista toolkit and a skill that can earn an elevated status for these crema-conscious rock stars

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This need for distinction and new ideas makes the city a trendsetter. It prides itself on having invented new recipes, like the magic or the babyccino (see opposite). Admittedly, this leads to excesses at times. For example, it was perhaps not necessary to try ‘outsidethe-box’ experiments like the avolatte (yes, you read that right), broccoli latte, or seaweed coffee. Is the café scene running out of ideas, as the local press occasionally hints? What’s on the horizon?

“The fourth wave could come from Asia,” explains Maria, describing a new approach tied to the influence in Melbourne of Vietnamese and Thai gastronomy. “These cuisines are generally lighter than their European counterparts. You don’t drink the same coffee with them.” Shri Bhagwandas confirms this, saying, “Many baristas here are of Asian descent. They adopted this culture a few years ago. They take coffee seriously. There are people from Japan, South Korea and China who all come here to study and learn. They’ve become very experienced.”

Will the flat white be diluted with the waters of this new Asian wave? The bottom line is preserving quality. Let’s leave the last word to Shri, an Australian with Sri Lankan, Cypriot and Italian roots: “In the end, no matter where you’re from, no matter what your religion, everyone loves a good coffee.” _

local passion

Vertue Coffee Roasters in the Carlton district.

St. Ali Coffee Roasters, a trailblazing coffee shop.

Little Rogue on Drewery Lane.

Fifty Shades of Café: Melbournians’ favourite coffee recipes

Flat white One dose of espresso with two of steamed milk. Minimal foam, otherwise it’s no longer ‘flat’.

Served in a ceramic cup.

Magic Stronger than a flat white – a double ristretto topped with milk. Served in a tulip-shaped cup, preferably three-quarters full.

Latte A little coffee, lots of milk and a creamy foam topping.

It’s better in a glass (to avoid confusing it with a flat white).

Macchiato ‘Marked’ or ‘stained’ in Italian.

An espresso delicately topped with frothed milk.

Served in a sall glass.

Piccolo An espresso with milk and foam served in a macchiato glass. Yes, you could call it a mini latte.

Long black Hot water into which one pours 1½ to 2 espressos.

Cappuccino Coffee and milk.

Purists refuse to sprinkle the top with cocoa powder.

One of the most consumed coffee recipes in the world.

Babyccino For kids, a cup of hot milk sprinkled with cocoa or cinnamon.

It can also be made with decaf.

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fine dining

Gifted pioneers Melbournian restaurants compete to make the most imaginative dishes. Meet five chefs who are defining Australia’s culinary identity.

By Boris Coridian Photos MickaĂŤl A. Bandassak

Yabby (native crayfish) tails, almond cream, begonia leaves and Espelette pepper, by Andrew McConnell at Cutler & Co.

fine dining

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magine a city where you could lunch on a delicious salad of broccoli, mint, parsley, freekeh and toasted almonds in an elegant, English pub setting.

Where, come evening, you could set off on a Chinese gastronomic adventure: you would start with Chongqing chicken-skin crackers (a very hot and spicy dish), followed by silky tofu and scallops drizzled with browned soy butter.

It would end with fillets of barramundi – a large-scaled fish with white, pearlescent flesh – with ginger and spring onions. An exquisite meal served on the first floor of an industrial building, hidden in a maze of alleys, where street artists are invited to express themselves. Imagine a city that can take you to the seventh heaven of taste – literally – in a dining room that tickles the clouds, overlooks the waters of Port Phillip and invites you to stick your fork into the lustrous tail of a ‘marron’ (a crayfish that rivals a lobster), then into its grilled head seasoned with crispy corn. All that before you succumb to a warm chocolate soufflé or sink a spoon into an espresso ice cream. A metropolis where, before a park filled with towering trees, the smell of wood smoke wraps around you on a restaurant threshold. Inside, peppers intensify their flavour directly over a grill’s incandescent embers and duck becomes a glossy masterpiece through the subtle glazing of a wood-fired oven.

A metropolis where, wedged between a pizza kiosk and a Japanese ramen stand is a rare gem, open only after dusk, where a black-clad cook with skilful hands explores new territories in taste.

This paradise, of course, is Melbourne.

The capital of good taste that becomes a bit more indispensable to local and international gourmets every day.

Here, restaurant openings are scheduled so often that one has no time to be hungry. Long after the gold rush in the 1850s, a new craze came to Melbourne, but for a different kind of nugget: the coffee bean. The evolution of these two epochs was not a coincidence. While the 19th-century boom revolutionised the state of Victoria and its society, it also paved the way for its streets to become home to one of the most exciting food scenes two centuries later.

This is a wonderland of cultures, where different cuisines can intermingle unlike anywhere else. Here, too, living well is a full-time job: it’s no coincidence that Melbournians have earned – and justly so – the reputation of having the best quality of life on the planet.

Here, nature is not as conspicuously bountiful as she is in big-sister city Sydney. So restaurant owners, to satisfy their customers, must offer a true exploratory experience by way of the menu. Here, residents have the means of those in the major international capitals, favouring the economic conditions needed to develop top-drawer dining.

Lastly, in Melbourne, the values of creation and innovation have filtered down into every strata of the population. We met five of the best ambassadors of this gustatory revolution from Australia’s southern coast: Shannon Bennett, Victor Liong, Andrew McConnell, Peter Gunn and Scott Pickett embody the diversity and dynamism of this city.

Their profiles are the next course. _

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You’ll find Shannon Bennett’s favourite places in the City Guide.

Shannon Bennett: The Visionary Melbourne lies at your feet. On the 55th floor of the Rialto Towers, on the banks of the Yarra, proudly stands the Vue de monde restaurant, which offers a breathtaking, 360-degree panorama view of the world. The soothing blue horizon is reflected in the eyes of Chef Shannon Bennett, who never tires of letting his gaze wander to rest upon those waters.

It’s an urban landscape he knows well: this 43-year-old cook grew up in the Melbourne metropolitan area. His globe-trotting travels, however, helped him develop an incomparable culinary technique. But he wanted to put this knowledge to practice in his home territory, using local ingredients. Though Vue de monde has ‘moved up’ in the world, the restaurant first opened in 2000, in a modest building on Drummond Street in the neighbourhood of Carlton. In 2005, it then moved to the historic Normanby Chambers building, before coming to caress the clouds at its current location in 2011. Melbourne is celebrated through food here in recipes brimming with seasonal poetry.

Two examples plucked from the menu: heirloom tomatoes, smoked mussels and elderflower; potato, smoked eel, watercress and Yarra Valley salmon eggs. All to be savoured in a setting that subtly evokes the days of the gold rush.

And what else can one say of his favourite desserts of chocolate with espresso ice cream, other than it’s worth its weight in gold.

Vue de monde, 525 Collins Street, Rialto Towers, 55th floor, Melbourne

Shannon Bennett, a chef at the top of his game.

A panoramic view of Melbourne is served tableside at Vue de monde.

Chef Shannon Bennett, a true coffee lover, serves a chocolate-espresso ice cream dessert.

fine dining

Tofu, XO sauce and Asian soy go well with Australian ingredients, like Hervey Bay scallops.

Lee Ho Fook is located near AC/DC Lane.

Victor Liong: The New Generation Melbourne is a modern-day Babylon, where communities mingle and languages intertwine. Young Australian chef Victor Liong has his parents’ Malaysian and Chinese cultures in his blood, but he interprets them in his own way at his restaurant Lee Ho Fook.

“This place is the sum total of all my experiences: my childhood, my school years, the training I received and my exposure to different ingredients and cooking styles.

All this makes Lee Ho Fook a wholly Melbournian restaurant, serving Chinese dishes with a new twist!” The city of Melbourne encourages exploration and creation: “It doesn’t have spectacular topography, but it’s got lots of character.

As a restaurant owner who chose to set up shop in an alleyway in the city centre, I have to impress my clients with what I serve them. And don’t bank on the view!

Over time, residents have developed subtle tastes and the ability to get excited about recipes,” explains Victor. “Here, there are no rules beyond the seasons. Everyone comes with a personal history and vision.

What we all have in common is our ceaseless quest for top quality and affordable prices.”

Lee Ho Fook, 11-15 Duckboard Place, Melbourne

You’ll find Victor Liong’s favourite places in the City Guide.

Andrew McConnell: The Godfather Marion, Cutler & Co., Cumulus Inc., Supernormal, Builders Arms Hotel, Meatsmith – in Melbourne, there is always an Andrew McConnell eatery somewhere nearby.

In less than twenty years (he opened his first restaurant in this city in 2001), he has become the godfather of local gastronomy. Each of his establishments has its own identity, meaning visitors can eat something completely different every day for a whole week. From the chic wine bar to the relaxed pub, from the modern Asian diner to the specialty butcher shop, there’s something for every taste. Cutler & Co., which opens only after dark, is the flagship of the McConnell fleet and seasonal ingredients are the rule here: nowhere else do crisp asparagus, marrons (Australian crayfish) and juicy peaches find such exquisite expression than in this fine dining goldmine. Relaxed Australian hospitality is nevertheless not forgotten. “We put all our energy into our recipes and respect for ingredients, but we’re also attuned to the kind of ambiance we create. As far as we’re concerned, you can come as you are, no fuss,” says the chef. This mastery of cordial comfort is one factor behind the explosion of Australia’s culinary scene. “We’re breaking down the barriers between the ‘big restaurants’, which are a bit too formal for my tastes, and the lively locales we’ve created,” he says. As the leader of a generation of chefs, he notes the direction taken by this modern cuisine, ready to conquer the world: “In the past, we simply did what was being done in Europe. But that’s no longer the case. We have enough self-confidence to impose our own style. We live in a huge country, a place of many influences and a great sense of adventure, all of which give our cuisine great depth.”

Cutler & Co., 55–57 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne Serial restaurateur Andrew McConnell at Cutler & Co, his flagship establishment.

Partridge with onions, mangetout peas and blossoms, pickled oyster mushrooms.

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Vacherin, coconut cream, spice-marinated pineapple, vanilla ice cream, mint powder.

Local asparagus in bonito vinegar and watercress puree.

Peter Gunn’s build is as imposing as his dishes are delicate.

Peter Gunn: Rebel with a Cause

Abalone, sorrel and shallots in a sweetcorn broth.

In January 2019, Peter Gunn celebrated his tenth anniversary of being in Melbourne. The 33-year-old, somewhat rebellious New Zealander has had a blistering career run. From night service in a low-end Chinese cafeteria, he rose to the rank of sous chef at the Attica restaurant under the wing of his mentor, Ben Shewry. In addition to his job at this internationally renowned establishment, Peter held private gourmet events that became musts on any foodie’s social calendar. “I decided to transfer this concept to my own place: IDES,” says the chef, whose attire and build are reminiscent of his burly compatriots, the All Blacks. The restaurant’s storefront is as dark as the team’s uniform, but the dishes served within are bright lights indeed.

“I love the creative freedom we enjoy in this country. I feel perfectly legitimate using Middle Eastern seasoning or soy sauce. But I’m seeking balance between flavours. That’s also the concept that really defines what we consider ‘modern Australian cuisine’”, explains this nonconformist. “I want to express my personal vision through my cooking, but most of all, I’m here to ensure customers experience an enchanted moment in time. We have a long way to go before we enlighten the world with a genuine gastronomic discourse, but we’re on the right track.”

IDES, 92 Smith Street, Collingwood, Melbourne

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fine dining

Scott Pickett: The Sacred Fire Walking into Matilda 159 Domain, means entering a world where the smell of braised delights and the warmth of Australian hospitality instantly envelop you. “This establishment embodies my perception of what an Australian restaurant is today.

It forges a powerful connection between nature, with the Royal Botanic Gardens right across the street, and extraordinary local ingredients, cooked directly over an open flame,” says Scott Pickett, an entrepreneurial chef with several eateries in town.

“Our culinary identity is still quite new.

We’re not like Italy or France, places that have shaped their personalities and techniques for centuries.

The generation of Australian cooks that preceded us would leave here to train in Europe and then return and try to apply that know-how. Sometimes they would add small local touches, but these could come across as acts of food fashion. For the past decade, we’ve made more of an effort to work on our roots and ingredients, while dipping into the cultures of the various communities that came to build a life here. Right now is a very exciting time for Australian cuisine!”

Matilda 159 Domain, 159 Domain Road, South Yarra, Melbourne

Though the crab is steamed, the bread served with it is toasted over the embers.

The glazed Macedon duck is roasted in a wood-fired oven.

At his new restaurant, Matilda 159 Domain, Chef Scott Pickett cooks most often with an open flame.

roots

The treasures of the bush Quandong, saltbush, bunya nut and Davidson plum: these indigenous ingredients have been consumed by Aboriginal nations for millennia.

Today’s chefs are, at long last, exploring this taste territory.

By Boris Coridian Photos MickaĂŤl A Bandassak

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1. Mountain pepper 2. Quandong 3. Sandalwood nut 4. Saltbush 5. Bush tomato 6. Lemon-scented tea-tree 7. Bunya nut 8. Wattleseed 9. Ground Wattleseed 10. Red centre lime 11. Lemon myrtle 12. Native tamarind 13. Davidson plum 14. Finger lime 15. Sunrise lime 16. Desert lime 17. Red bush apple

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roots

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sliced finger lime, gently pressed, releases a mass of translucent beads. On the tongue, every petite pearl literally explodes, releasing a droplet of aromatic, deliciously tart juice. This citrus fruit from Australia, sometimes called ‘caviar lime’ because of the juice vesicles’ appearance, is making a remarkable arrival on the menus of international gourmet restaurants. With a pronounced, yet delicate taste and a uniquely refreshing quality, it proudly bears the standard for the continent’s citrus fruits: long may those colours wave, from intense green, to ruby red, through to every shade of ochre.

Though today’s taste buds are just discovering these foods of unusual shape and name – quandong, saltbush, Bunya nuts and Davidson plum – the first inhabitants of this vast territory have been gathering them since time immemorial in a veritable Garden of Eden. Aborigines harvest, hunt, and eat these fruits, vegetables,

herbs and animals, using every facet of thee resources reaped in a harsh, even hostile environment, where temperatures can soar (up to 49° C [120° F] last December ) and where rains are at times scarce. If you’d like the chance to put some of these natural treasures in your mouth, the most obvious Melbournian place for this is called Charcoal Lane. This restaurant on the outskirts of Fitzroy, celebrates the products of Australia’s lands, while working to integrate disadvantaged Aboriginal youth in to the hospitality trade. The menu features local ingredients prepared using French or Asian techniques. What kinds of dishes are born of this cultural concoction?

As a starter, shrimp are sautéed with chilli and lemon myrtle (which tastes rather like lemongrass, only stronger).

For a main dish, the grilled kangaroo fillet, served with potato fritters and a red wine reduction, is seasoned with crispy saltbush leaves. For dessert, the coconut-macadamia crumble goes deliciously with the watermelon salad and native citrus sorbet.

Living fossil

Greg Hampton, the chef at Charcoal Lane, can’t stop enthusing about these gems: “They’ve been eaten by the Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years, but we keep discovering new ones every day. Since this indigenous knowledge is passed down through oral traditions, much of it has been lost. The settlers tried to turn this land into an extension of Europe. Though, at first, they were forced to eat these local fruits, vegetables and game, they quickly turned to growing food and raising livestock they imported from back home. Yet this country is overflowing with varieties of celery, carrots and more, which have been

Greg Hampton, the chef of the Charcoal Lane restaurant.

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growing here forever.” Some even offer a trip back in time. Chewing on a desert lime is an experience of ancient flavour. “This lime hasn’t been altered, unlike all the varieties we know today, which are all the result of selections and crosses.

The fact that the Aborigines farmed very little, coupled with the fact that Australia is an island, means these native plants managed to remain unchanged for thousands of years.”

It is mind-blowing to know one is tasting a living fossil.

First bakers

The Aboriginal culture belongs to the world’s oldest civilisation. There is evidence of their efforts in agriculture, aquaculture and irrigation in the very distant past. They grew grains and made flour for bread almost 30,000 years ago, about 15,000 years before the Egyptians.

Just imagine – they were humanity’s first bakers!” In the restaurant, geometrically shaped Aboriginal artwork brightens the room, as much as the southern sun. The guests are curious visitors from around the world wanting to try new dishes, along with Australians eager to better understand the history and subtleties of their lands. Greg Hampton agrees that Australians could learn much more about these foods.

“When I was training as a cook, we were told that Australia didn’t have any good ingredients to work with.

Gradually, through my contact with others, I’ve become aware of the diversity and richness of this natural pantry. This country’s young people have grown up knowing nothing about all these foods. But now we finally understand that they can be delicious! And now there’s no turning back.”

FINGER LIME (Citrus australasica) Also called: caviar lime.

Season: December to May. Eaten raw, it has the tangy, slightly bitter taste of citrus.

Perfect on raw fish.

QUANDONG (Santalum acuminatum) Also called: desert quandong, native peach. Season: August to December.

This fruit is typically eaten in dried form and adds a slightly tart taste to sweet and savoury dishes.

NATIVE TAMARIND (Diploglottis australis) Also known as Australian tamarind. Season: October to January.

The tasty flesh (the aril) around the seed is usually eaten raw or prepared in jams and chutneys.

The very intense flavour is similar to the tangerine or mandarin orange.

BUNYA NUT (Araucaria bidwillii) Season: the nuts take two years to mature. They can be eaten raw. They are often roasted before being ground into a powder for desserts, savoury dishes and spreads.

They have a taste reminiscent of sweet chestnuts.

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BLOOD LIME (Hybrid of finger lime and tangerine) Also called: Australian blood lime, Red Centre lime.

Season: December to May. Both the peel and flesh are edible. It is sweeter than its native cousins and is the perfect seasoning for fish, oysters, chicken and desserts.

AUSTRAL SEABLITE (Suaeda australis) The edible leaves can be picked year-round and enjoyed raw or pickled.

They are the perfect complement to seafood as a raw salad or a cooked vegetable, when they have a taste rather like young bean shoots.

MOUNTAIN PEPPER (Tasmannia lanceolata) Also called: Tasmanian pepperberry.

Season: variable. Harvests can be abundant or negligible.

The fresh leaves are used as herbs and, once dried and powdered, as a potent spice. The berries add character to marinades, sauces, soups or vinaigrettes.

RED BUSH APPLE (Syzygium suborbiculare) Season: October to February.

The crunchy texture and slightly spicy flavour go well with salad greens (grated), a cheese platter (sliced), custard (infused) or white meats (stewed).

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roots

"I serve emu, wallaby and kangaroo meat, which weren’t getting any respect until recently. Now it would be impossible for me to sell a beef steak – just because nobody would want to order it!”

Spicy inspiration

Though consumers are seeking out these bush-born ingredients with increasing fervour, you don’t just find them at the corner store. But Jude Mayall, founder of Outback Chef, is trying to change that, acting as an intermediary between chefs and producers. The chef devotes tremendous energy to introducing her colleagues and a wider audience to these foods.

“My first experience with Australian ingredients was lemon myrtle, which is probably the best known of them all,” she recalls. The ground leaves add a citrusy flavour to teas, beverages, cakes, cookies, sauces and ice creams. It can be used as a substitute for lemongrass in cooking things like curries and pasta. “I was astounded!

I wondered, ‘Why aren’t we cooks

using this ingredient? How could we have missed it?’” Today, her warehouses are filled with foods harvested from the backcountry. Some are wildpicked, some are formally cultivated, but all are earning renewed recognition and the market for selling them is developing steadily. Even their names fire the imagination: anise myrtle, bush tomato, gumbi gumbi, native thyme and strawberry gum.

The fruits are stored in various states – fresh, dried, frozen and dehydrated.

Every bite is reminiscent of the intensity of the outback, the arid expanses beyond the bush. The flavours are pronounced, subtle, multifaceted, unusual and unknown. They captivate the mind and compel culinary creativity.

Lenka Vanderboom, Aboriginal Heritage Walk guide.

Eating local

Jude Mayall began unravelling the mysteries of bush food by way of Aboriginal art. “I really got to know this country through painting,” she explains, “and many works depict the food culture. I remember one day, sitting in the desert, talking to an Aboriginal artist who was painting a canvas. I asked, ‘What’s that?’ and she said, ‘Oh, these are bush tomatoes!’

A path lit up in my mind. That’s how my passion for cooking and these ingredients came about.” Could this be the future of Australian gastronomy? “In the past five or six years, consumers have developed a completely different view of all this. It’s also because people are now more interested in environmental issues and food origins, they want to better trace the production chain and eat local produce. It’s healthy food that grows in native soil. This is probably one of the most exciting times for our cuisine.” One more reason to travel to this enchanting land. _

Chef Jude Mayall, founder of Outback Chef.

Aboriginal heritage in the Royal Botanical Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens are in the centre of Melbourne, situated on a parcel of land that holds great importance for the Aboriginal Kulin Nation. This verdant paradise is home to a fascinating journey known as the Aboriginal Heritage Walk. The tour, led by guides from the Aboriginal community, like Lenka Vanderboom, begins with a traditional smoke ceremony, a custom meant to celebrate ancestors, pay homage to the land and repel evil spirits. The route then meanders through a hundred plant species used by indigenous peoples.

The guide sheds light on the powerful connection between nature and humans. The walk ends with a refreshing cup of lemon myrtle tea, drunk to the sounds of poetic stories of the Aboriginal nations. › rbg.vic.gov.au

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the big picture

The Yarra Runs Through It Melbournians have often misunderstood the river that runs through their city.

And yet these waters are central to their local way of life. They sail on it, contemplate its banks, party on it.

And soon they’ll be swimming in it.

By Julien Blanc-Gras Photos Mickaël A. Bandassak Illustration Célia Callois

The Ponyfish Island Bar sits on the river in front of the Central Business District’s skyscrapers.

It encapsulates Melbourne itself active and relaxed.

Meandering in a meander

It’s a 246-kilometre waterway that starts in the Eastern Highlands of Victoria. In fact, this river is what created Melbourne: in 1835, settlers John Batman and John Pascoe Fawkner first bivouacked not far from its mouth. They established agreements with the Wurundjeris Aborigines who had occupied the lands for 40,000 years. The river’s name was born from a misunderstanding, when the natives shouted “Yarra!

Yarra!” the newcomers thought that was the river’s name, when the word actually means ‘waterfall’.

That small encampment is now a metropolis with a population of four and a half million souls. But you can still enjoy the Yarra’s bucolic charms. A skippedstone’s path upriver of the city centre, the gardens of the Fairfield Park Boathouse and a 20th-century building embraced by a meander, give Sunday strollers a verdant British ambiance. People go for a boat ride before sipping an iced coffee in the sun, take a yoga class on the grassy terraces, contemplate the shimmering waters, a duck quacks racously, while in the distance, the city disappears as the river hums along forever. › fairfieldboathouse.com

Pastoral charm and boat trips: welcome to the Fairfield Boat House gardens.

Caring for her banks

People don’t swim in this river – the brownish water is hardly inviting. It is periodically polluted when heavy rains cause the city’s drainage systems to overflow. As a result, Melbournians have long given the river the cold shoulder. “But over the past fifteen years, people have started rediscovering it,” says Andrew Kelly of the Yarra Riverkeeper Association. Andrew (pictured left, seated) grew up on these banks and decided he would make it his mission to protect them. We catch up with him on Herring Island, a small artificial isle that cannot be accessed on foot from the mainland. A green enclave within the city that is home to a number of sculptures and splendid biodiversity (eucalyptus, wading birds, sugar gliders and – watch your step – snakes).

It’s a magical place, but became a victim of the trash of our times. Andrew recruited some forty volunteers to clean it up and dispose of the plastics and Styrofoam caught in the reeds. “We collected ten tonnes of waste in the space of a week,” he reports.

A number of the volunteers are families with children. A way to help teach the next generation at an early age about protecting the environment. › yarrariver.org.au

Andrew Kelly (seated) and his crew of volunteers strive to keep the river clean.

Carried by the current

After jumping into a small orange boat, we continue our descent of the Yarra. Our skipper is Alistair Sutherland (pictured right). He sings the praises of his Dutch sloepen, light canoes inspired by those that navigate the canals of Amsterdam and can hold a dozen passengers. The perfect vessel for taking in the scenery and a floating picnic with family or friends. Seeing as we’re in the ‘coffee capital’, Alistair takes us on a tour called the Sunrise Coffee Cruise: a 6:30 a.m. departure with a hot beverage served on board. We are carried gently by the current.

We drift past cruise ships, kayaks, people pedalling on the bike path that threads the river’s shoreline.

We admire the brave souls training for a rowing race. We glide before the Royal Botanic Gardens and the celebrated Melbourne Cricket Ground.

We pass beneath a few bridges and turn a corner to see the buildings of the Central Business District and the suburb of South Yarra. › onaboat.com.au

Skipper Alistair Sutherland on a Dutch sloep, the ideal boat for tranquilly drifting down the Yarra.

Paddling among the skyscrapers

At Ponyfish, soak up the sun on an island in the middle of the river.

Dancing on the docks

Flinders Street Station is the rail hub and beating heart of the city. Behind it, the river rolls along. The Arbory bar and restaurant, which opened in 2017, stands between the railroad tracks and the watercourse. Day or night, people crowd around tables for a burger or a flat white, rubbing elbows in a festive atmosphere beneath the trees. A few steps away is Ponyfish Island (pictured above). It’s an outdoor establishment situated on an island that can only be reached by the Yarra Pedestrian Bridge. “My partners and I thought the place had potential that was underutilised,” says the establishment’s owner Grant Smillie. “We decided to install a pop-up bar there in the summertime and it worked so well that we made it a permanent fixture.” You cannot be more centrally located, smack-dab between the two banks with distinctly different sociologies that Grant humorously describes this way: “Either you live on the North bank and have a bike, a moustache and an opinion on all things cultural. Or you live on the South bank and were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, have 2 children and drive a big car.” Fortunately, at the Ponyfish, we’re in the middle of the river and don’t have to pick sides. › arbory.com.au › ponyfish.com.au

“That’s my office,” Kent Cuthbert explains as he points to the Yarra. This Canadian, a former executive of a multinational corporation, is also an outdoor sports enthusiast. He fell in love with the river and that love gave rise to a marvellously wacky idea: urban kayak tours. “Half our clients are tourists, the other half are locals. It’s a chance for them to rediscover Melbourne.”

And here we are, paddling toward the docks, skimming the water, grazing the pontoons of the marina and Marvel Stadium. We take a quick break to snack on fish and chips aboard our vessel. “It’s rare, but we sometimes see dolphins surfacing here,” says Kent. “There’s also a sea lion that has decided to call this place home.

Her name is Salvatore.” We go around the Bolte Bridge which leads to the mouth, where the Yarra flows into Port Phillip Bay. Then we turn back toward the city as the sun sets: we are dazzled by the brilliant rays mirrored in the skyscrapers’ windows. We paddle on, tiny trekkers amidst these glass-and-steel giants, especially at the foot of the Eureka Tower, the tallest residential building in Australia, stretching 300 metres into the sky. We watch the Crown Casino’s Gas Brigades pyrotechnical show: flaming gas shooting into the air, roiling into fireballs that illuminate the nocturnal wanderings of passers-by. We are alone in the middle of the water in the middle of a metropolis. “I’ve never seen my city from this perspective,” enthuses a fellow paddler, delighted with the ride. It wouldn’t take much for us to jump into the water. And that’s not a mere pipedream.

“The water’s not as dirty as all that,” Kent clarifies.

“That brown colour is just the sediment. The overall water quality is improving.” So much so that the Yarra Pools project plans to open a swimming pool using the river’s (filtered) water by 2020. Dive in! › kayakmelbourne.com.au › yarrapools.com

There’s nothing like a kayak tour to see the city in a whole new way.

wild life

Lizzie’s Ark The Conservation Ecology Centre, founded by a scientific couple, is a Cape Otway sanctuary for local wildlife. This verdant property is also home to a cosy lodge surrounded by freely roaming animals. No wonder it tames visitors with such ease.

By Julien Blanc-Gras Photos Frédéric Stucin

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Lizzie Corke, with backing from the Centre, works to protect Australian species, such as the sugar glider, a nocturnal marsupial that can sail through the air.

wild life

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wild, raucous cry of startling volume bursts from the neighbouring grove.

The roar of a great wildcat, we speculate, probably a lion… before we remember where we are: Australia, a few hours’ drive from Melbourne, just off the celebrated Great Ocean Road, a spectacular coastal roadway. It’s unlikely that a lion would be roaming around these parts. We look to the top of a eucalyptus, and our jaws drop. The cry issued from a creature – that typically tops the cutest-animal list - a koala. We turn our gaze to the nearby meadow and are surprised by a kangaroo watching us.

Then two kangaroos. Then forty. They let us approach to within a reasonable distance, without any fear. We are not at a zoo, nor on a nature reserve. These animals live in complete freedom and are not fed by humans. They just know they’re safe here, on the lands of Lizzie Corke and Shayne Neal.

Fragile ecosystem

These two scientists are the founders of the Conservation Ecology Centre (CEC), a non-profit organisation dedicated to researching and protecting the magnificent, moving, fragile ecosystem of the Cape Otway region.

It all began in 2000, when Lizzie and Shayne graduated from the University of Melbourne and fell in love with this place. “It was just a stretch of land with lots of grass. But it had potential,” they explain. The couple threw themselves into building this sanctuary, financed by public and private subsidies coupled with tourism revenues. In 2004, Lizzie and Shayne cut the ribbon at the Great Ocean Ecolodge, a welcoming cocoon tucked in a green wonderland that can accommodate a dozen boarders. We have breakfast there and watch the kangaroos put on their frolicking show. That day, a big male is pursuing a female with determination, to

the laughter of the kookaburras, those arboreal kingfishers with flamboyant plumage. We then walk in the woods with 38-year-old Lizzie, who is both mild-mannered and energetic as she talks about her work with infectious enthusiasm. “Our environment is bombarded by stress factors, including imported invasive species, like the fox.”

Tourism potential

The CEC strategy is founded on improving how the territory is managed. “We’ve planted 200,000 trees in eighteen years. That’s the equivalent of nearly 110 hectares,” Lizzie explains.

The centre also implements controlled, ecologically strategic burns to regenerate the soil. This fundamental work on the flora preserves the fauna. “Many species that have vanished elsewhere are surviving here in the Otways.” One of Lizzie’s great sources of pride is the 2012 rediscovery of an animal that was believed to be lost forever in the region - the tiger quoll or spotted-tail quoll (a carnivorous marsupial that is cousin to the Tasmanian devil). We approach an animal pen and Australia’s largest carnivorous marsupial appears, a tough animal with powerful jaws, able to hunt prey seven times its weight. Experts don’t know exactly how many of them remain. “It’s still an endangered species and we’re working to save it.” The quoll is solitary and shy, difficult to find and follow.

To track it, the CEC team formed a crack team of border collies, who are trained to locate their excrement.

“That way we don’t disturb the animals, but we have their DNA, their location. It’s really useful.”

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We’re approaching a cabin of sorts.

We pass through the double security doors and don protective goggles.

What furious beast awaits us behind these doors? Two kangaroo rats, gentle, little marsupials that look rather stunned (imagine a kangaroo the size of a rabbit). Suddenly, emerging from their box are charming creatures that resemble squirrels. They’re sugar gliders, every paw bearing tiny claws.

It’s easy to win them over - just dip your fingers in a jar of honey and they come over to cuddle. “That’s to connect people with nature. It helps raise awareness.”

We return to the lodge by way of the vegetable garden, henhouse and solar panels powering it. In the living area, prestigious awards hanging on the wall attest to the institutional recognition given the CEC. Lizzie Corke and Shayne Neal built a community, created jobs, forged relationships, pooled resources, improved scientific knowledge and protected a territory.

And they don’t intend to stop there.

Their new social-enterprise project, Wildlife Wonders, applies the same principles on a larger scale. Near the village of Apollo Bay, not far from here, it will milk the tourism potential of the Great Ocean Road, with a reception capacity of 200,000 people a year.

In the lounge, visitors savour a Spotted Ale, the beer produced with the local Otway Brewing Company, proceeds from which go toward protecting the tiger quoll. Through the wide picture windows, we see the male kangaroo still hot on the heels of his lady love, utterly focused on perpetuating life. A light breeze blows through the eucalyptus trees.

The sun sets on Lizzie’s ark. A vessel in paradise for the animals, guided by human hands. _

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1. Lizzie Corke and Shayne Neal began building the place in 2000. 2. The koala, an endemic species, is one of the identified animals at the Conservation Ecology Centre. 3. The spotted-tailed quoll, also called the tiger quoll, was rediscovered in the region in 2012. 4. Another symbol of the country, the kangaroo, is present by the dozen at the Centre.

melting pot

Cultural concoction

Melbourne’s diversity is reflected in the ways people here make their coffee: Italian-style, ristretto, Greek-style, grounds-rich, Ethiopian, poured from a clay pot. Communities share their traditional coffee recipes with us as we travel ‘round the world of taste’ – simply by changing neighbourhoods.

By Julien Blanc-Gras Photos Frédéric Stucin

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The iced coffee at the Good Days restaurant is made Vietnamesestyle, with sweetened condensed milk and served over ice in a glass.

melting pot

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wo hundred and sixty languages are spoken in Melbourne.

After the first British settlers landed on the territories of the Bunurong, Wurundjeri and Wathaurong Aboriginal nations, the city welcomed immigrants from every corner of the earth – often refugees – who, as history marched on, sought to build a better life for themselves on the banks of the Yarra River. Today, a third of the population was born abroad. Few other cities can boast such diversity: Melbourne is a cultural melting pot in an Anglo-Saxon crucible, a thriving hive of coffee cultures.

Let’s take a stroll through the city’s quarters and cafés. We inhale the roasted scents of coffee in the Ethiopian community of Footscray.

We meet Greek iced-coffee addicts in Oakleigh. Over on Lygon Street, they drink espresso the way the Italians do. We amble through the Middle-Eastern ambiance of Coburg and enjoy a cà phê dá from Vietnam in the restaurants of Richmond. Coffee connoisseurs find the world at their feet in a single city. Though two hundred and sixty languages are spoken in Melbourne, the language of coffee is everyone's native tongue.

“An important social ritual in Ethiopia” Abdulazize Hussen and Rozenn Blouin, owners of Konjo.

Abdulazize Hussen arrived in Australia about twenty years ago, having fled his native Ethiopia and spent eight years in a Kenyan refugee camp.

Once in Melbourne, he set up an arts and crafts store before opening Konjo in 2012 with Rozenn, his French wife.

Ethiopian families and young tattooed hipsters swarm to the Footscray neighbourhood to feast on the eatery’s traditional buffets or a good kifto (a kind of spicy steak tartare) before ending the meal with coffee imported directly from the Horn of Africa.

And why not, since coffee was discovered in Ethiopia? As the legend goes, back in the 9th century, a shepherd named Kaldi was surprised to see his goats leaping about more than usual after grazing on a bush. He picked the fruits from this same bush, chewed on the fruit, then tossed the pits into the fire. The pits were coffee beans, and produced a marvellous smell. Today, the coffee ceremony is “an important social ritual in Ethiopia”, explains Rozenn, who offers to demonstrate.

The green coffee beans are heated and stirred in a saucepan over a small fire. Once roasted, guests are asked to smell the beans, which are then ground and placed in a clay pot, the jebena. The pot is filled with water, put back on the fire, and the mixture is brought to a boil. The flavour is sweet and slightly chocolatey. In this ritual, coffee is always served with incense burning. “It’s a moment of purification for both the air and the spirit.”

Konjo, 89 Irving Street, Footscray, Melbourne

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“Vietnamese coffee was tailored to the tropical climate” Nam Nguyen, founder of Good Days.

The property is tucked between a pub and a second-hand shop.

We’re in the vibrant North Melbourne neighbourhood of Brunswick.

Nam Nguyen – a 34-year-old family man born to Vietnamese parents n Adelaide, Australia – is our host in the bright, uncluttered space of Good Days, the restaurant he opened in 2016. The menu features things like chicken rice and beef pho, the flavours of his childhood, but also a vegan and gluten-free option. “That’s not traditional, it’s the neighbourhood trend. Good Days is a second-generation Vietnamese restaurant that reflects my two-sided cultural background. Like Italian and Greek cuisines before us, Vietnamese cooking is becoming an integral part of the Australian food culture.” Nam serves us iced coffee the way it’s made in Vietnam, where it’s called cà phê dá.

“Coffee was brought to Vietnam by the French.” A Catholic priest transported a Robusta tree to the island in the mid-19th century. “The beverage was tailored to the tropical climate.”

It’s made with a metal filter, the phin, with sweetened condensed milk (because the dairy industry wasn’t developed at the time). The customer then pours the beverage into an ice-filled glass for a bracing, refreshing drink.

Good Days, 165 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Melbourne

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melting pot

“A twin coffee culture” Charlie and Jeff Elrahi, founders of Zaatar.

Zaatar is a delicious blend of spices.

It’s also the name of an establishment in Coburg, north of Melbourne, that’s always packed. “Our parents came from Lebanon forty years ago, during the war,” explains Charlie (left in the photo) and Jeff (right), the Elrahi brothers. “We embrace our roots, but we were born right here in this neighbourhood.

Australia is our home.” This twin culture is reflected in their menu.

Mezze, falafel and kefta rub elbows with Vegemite-halloumi pie.

“You can’t get any more Australian than Vegemite [a savoury yeast spread], and halloumi is a Cypriot cheese.” The brothers serve a “Turkish-style” coffee brewed through stovetop boiling, the way it’s traditionally drunk in the Middle East and south-eastern Europe. Anyone wary of this potent beverage can rest reassured that they also sell lattes and espressos at Zaatar. What’s more, the establishment also supports charitable causes. Revenues taken in on Good Friday (more than 50,000 Australian dollars – about 31,000 euros – in 2018) are donated to support a children’s hospital.

In the dining room, an elderly lady nibbles at a meal while watching the two brothers at work. It’s their mother, Theresa. When asked, she says she’s very proud of her boys.

Zaatar, 365 Sydney Road, Coburg, Melbourne

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“Spilled coffee is a good-luck sign” Nicole Papasavas, manager of Stalactites restaurant, a Greek institution.

“My parents came from the Peloponnese in the Sixties,” says Nicole Papasavas, the forty-something woman at the helm of Stalactites. The ceaselessly bustling establishment is on Lonsdale Street, the historic epicentre of Melbourne’s substantial Greek community of some 170,000 people.

“In 1978, someone thought of importing their family food here.

It was simple, fresh, tasty, not too expensive. That idea took off.”

In Australia, people dine early – unlike in Greece.

“One day, my grandfather broke the padlock off the door with a hammer, saying, ‘We’re not closing anymore.’”

Ever since, the restaurant has been open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “When you’re open day and night, you serve coffee, serious coffee. And we can do that, because Greek coffee is a variation of Middle-Eastern coffee, served with the grounds still in it.” A server brings over a cup and a few drops splash on the table. “Spilled coffee is a good-luck sign,” Nicole notes.

Then a lot of coffee must have been spilled at Stalactites, a small neighbourhood restaurant that has become an institution far beyond the Greek community.

Stalactictes, 177-183 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

“Italian immigrants landed here with their espresso machines” Tony Cavallaro, pastry chef and son of the founder of T. Cavallaro & Sons.

Piston coffee makers, elsewhere known as French presses, stand in a row in the shop window. The moment you cross the threshold, you enter what feels like Italy suspended in time. The old-fashioned scale on the counter. Crunchy biscuits on the shelves. And the espresso machine, of course. “Italian immigrants landed here with them,” says Tony Cavallaro, the man who runs Melbourne’s famous pasticceria, T. Cavallaro & Sons. “My father arrived here alone from Italy after World War II. He had no money, he didn’t speak the language.

The shop opened in 1956, during the Melbourne Olympics.

That event revolutionised the city’s gastronomy.” The pastry shop is in Footscray, the place where wave after wave of immigrants chose to land. “Back when I was a kid, the street was Italian, Greek, Yugoslav, Turkish. Then came the Vietnamese wave of the 1970s, then the African wave in 1990s and 2000s.

People came here with their cultures, their coffees, their groceries.

It’s fantastic,” enthuses Tony as he bites into a luscious homemade cannoli, rinsing it down with a ristretto: “Like my father before me, his father – my grandfather – was a pastry chef, too. Our recipes are 150 years old.” A dozen Cavallaros now have their fingers in the dough here. A family history that won’t likely be ending anytime soon.

T. Cavallaro & Sons, 98 Hopkins Street, Footscray, Melbourne

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coffee cuisine

Caution: The featured recipes may contain different allergens. Should you have any allergy or intolerance, you are responsible for modifying the ingredients as necessary.

The sweet life

Pavlovas with Australian finger lime and raspberries, Barista Creations Corto cortado

These recipes showcase the flavours of Australia and, combined with coffee, take your taste buds on a trip to the Southern Hemisphere.

Let’s go!

By Audrey Cosson Photos Virginie Garnier

Espresso cup, Origin Collection (Nespresso).

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Serves 6.

Preparation time: 30 minutes.

Infusion time: 1 hour. Cooking time: 70 minutes. For the beverage: 6 capsules of Barista Creations Corto (6 x 40 ml) · 6 x 10-20 ml of milk to froth. For the meringues: 4 egg whites · 220 g granulated sugar · 4 to 6 finger limes. For the whipped cream : 400 ml double cream · ½ tbsp. lemon myrtle powder · 2 tbsp. icing sugar. For the coulis: 250 g raspberries (+ 100 g for garnish) · 4 tbsp. granulated sugar.

· Prepare the meringues: Preheat the oven to 120° C (250° F, gas mark 1/2). Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Beat the egg whites.

As soon as they start to thicken, add the sugar a tablespoon at a time.

Continue beating for 3 minutes.

Spoon 10cm diameter circles of the meringue mixture on to the baking tray shaping them with a small spatula and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and allow to cool · Prepare the whipped cream: simmer the cream in a saucepan.

Remove from heat, add the myrtle, mix, cover and allow to steep for 1 hour. Refrigerate as soon as the cream reaches room temperature · Prepare the coulis: heat the raspberries with the sugar while crushing them with a spoon.

Bring to a simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool before refrigerating for 15 minutes · Just before serving, strain the cream and whip, adding the icing sugar when the cream starts to thicken and continue whipping until it forms firm peaks. Serve the meringues topped with whipped cream, coulis, raspberries and finger lime pulp · Enjoy with a cortado prepared with Barista Creations Corto coffee (40 ml) and topped with 10-20 ml of hot milk froth.

The Corto Barista Creations capsule contains no milk products.

coffee cuisine

Coffee cruffins (croissantmuffins) and Linizio Lungo

Serves 6 (makes 16 cruffins).

Preparation time: 45 minutes.

Let sit: 3 hours 15 minutes. Cooking time: 25 minutes. For the beverage: 6 capsules of Linizio Lungo (6 x 110 ml).

For the cruffins: 250 ml lukewarm milk · 8 g dried baker’s yeast · 20 g honey · 450 g flour · 1 pinch of salt · 50 g granulated sugar · 150 g melted butter · 50 g softened butter · 1 egg yolk.

For the confectioner’s custard: 2 egg yolks · 30 g granulated sugar · 15 g cornflour · 140 ml whole milk · 1 capsule Linizio Lungo (1 x 110 ml).

· Prepare the cruffins: whip a small quantity of milk with the yeast and honey and allow to stand for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar. Pour in the milk, yeast and honey mixture, the rest of the milk, 100 g melted butter and mix. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a floured work surface.

Form into a ball, place in a large floured mixing bowl, cover with a cloth and allow to sit for 1½ hours · Divide the dough into 8 sections.

Mix the remaining melted butter with the softened butter. Spread one dough section in a rectangle on the work surface. Brush with butter.

Roll the dough onto itself and halve the finished roll lengthwise. Roll each half-roll onto itself, cut side facing up, and place in buttered muffin tins.

Repeat the process with all dough sections. Cover with a cloth and allow to rise in a warm place · Prepare the custard: beat the egg yolks and sugar. Add the cornflour and whip.

Prepare a 110 ml Linizio Lungo.

Bring the milk to a simmer and pour over the mixture, add the coffee and whip. Return to low heat until the custard thickens. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate · Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F, gas mark 4).

Brush the egg yolk and milk onto the top of the cruffins.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and make a hole at the base of each one. Fill with the custard using a piping bag and serve · Enjoy with a Linizio Lungo (110 ml).

Lungo Cups, View Collection (Nespresso); terrazzo trivet

by OK Design.

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coffee cuisine

Mashed avocado on toast and Kazaar americano

Serves 6.

Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Cooking time: 5 minutes.

For the beverage: 6 capsules of Kazaar (6 x 25 ml) · 6 x 125 ml of hot water. For the toasts: 200 g feta cheese · 2 ripe avocados · 1 large candied lemon and 2 tbsp. lemon juice · 3 thyme sprigs, stripped · olive oil · 5 eggs · 100 g flour · 100 g breadcrumbs · cooking oil · ½ tomato · 2 whole sweet peppers marinated in olive oil · ½ red onion, peeled and chopped · 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped · 5 sprigs coriander, destemmed and chopped · 1 tsp. of cider vinegar · 10 small slices of sourdough bread · juice of ½ lemon · zataar mixture · fleur de sel.

· Cut the feta and candied lemon into small cubes and mix them in a bowl with thyme leaves and lemon juice, pour olive oil on top until covered. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 10 minutes · Boil 3 eggs in simmering water for 6 minutes. Remove, run under cold water and remove shells.

Roll them in the flour, then in the rest of the beaten eggs, then in the breadcrumbs.

Heat the frying oil and fry the eggs until golden brown · In a blender, combine the tomato, drained peppers, red onion, garlic, half the coriander and cider vinegar.

Blend to form a sauce · Toast the sliced bread. Peel and pit the avocados and mash the flesh in a bowl with the lemon juice to form a thick purée, add salt and pepper to taste. Spread mashed avocado on the toasted bread, sprinkle with drained feta, top with half an egg and serve sprinkled with the remaining coriander, salt, zataar mixture and the red pepper sauce · Enjoy with a Kazaar prepared americano style (25 ml).

Prepare the coffees adding the hot water to each coffee.

Mug, View Collection (Nespresso); plate by Stonemade.

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coffee cuisine

Coconut porridge, poached pears and Barista Creations Chiaro cappuccino

Serves 6.

Preparation time: 15 minutes. Let sit: overnight. Cooking time: 50 minutes.

For the beverage: 6 capsules of Barista Creations Chiaro (6 x 25 ml) · 6 x 60-80 ml of milk to froth.

For the porridge: 3 pears · 75 g oatmeal · 3 tbsp. chia seeds · 500 g granulated sugar · 1 whole vanilla bean · 2 cloves · 1 cinnamon stick · 6 cardamom pods · 450 ml coconut milk · 1 tsp. vanilla extract · 2 tbsp. maple syrup · 450 g yogurt · toasted coconut flakes.

· The day before, split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Heat the sugar with 1 litre of water, bring to a boil and add the vanilla seeds and pod, the cinnamon stick, the cloves and the cardamom pods.

Reduce heat, add the peeled pears and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or until the pears are tender and slightly translucent.

Let the pears cool in the syrup and then refrigerate · Simmer the coconut milk in a saucepan and pour it into a bowl over the oatmeal and chia seeds, add the vanilla extract, maple syrup, mix and refrigerate overnight · The next day, add the yoghurt and stir well. Add a little water, coconut milk or yoghurt.

Serve with quartered pears and syrup and sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes · Enjoy with a cappuccino made with Barista Creations Chiaro coffee (25 ml) topped with the frothed milk.

Cappuccino Cup, View Collection (Nespresso); bowl by Salt & Pepper.

The Barista Creations Chiaro capsule contains no milk products.

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coffee cuisine

Banana bread and Master Origin Nicaragua espresso

Serves 6.

Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Let sit: 1 hour. Cooking time: 45 minutes to 1 hour.

For the beverage: 66 capsules of Master Origin Nicaragua (6 x 40 ml). For the banana bread: 4 ripe bananas · 115 g butter at room temperature · 2 lightly beaten eggs · 150 g granulated sugar · 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda · 1 pinch of salt · 180 g plain flour · 1 tbsp. cinnamon powder · a pinch of grated nutmeg · pinch of ground cloves · 75 g pecans.

For the icing: 125 g cream cheese · 50 g softened butter · 1 capsule of Master Origin Nicaragua (1 x 25 ml) · 300 g icing sugar.

· Prepare the banana bread: preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F, gas mark 4). Peel the bananas and mash them.

Add the butter and mix.

Add the eggs, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, salt and mix. Lastly, add the flour and spices and mix until it forms a smooth dough.

Add the crushed pecans, mix and place the dough in a buttered and floured loaf tin. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the tin and let cool · Prepare the icing: prepare a 25 ml Master Origin Nicaragua. Pour into a bowl with the softened butter and cream cheese and whisk to obtain a smooth mixture.

Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, but fairly stiff. Once the bread has cooled, cover with icing.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving · Enjoy with a Master Origin Nicaragua (40 ml).

Espresso cups, Touch Collection (Nespresso).

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coffee cuisine

Ricotta hotcakes, honeycomb butter and iced Master Origin Ethiopia coffee

Serves 6.

Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Cooking time: 20 minutes. Let sit: 1 hour.

For the beverage: 6 capsules of Master Origin Ethiopia (6 x 40 ml) · 6 x 90 g ice cubes · 6 x 90 ml water.

For the honeycomb butter: 55 g granulated sugar · 10 g honey · 10 ml water · ¼ tbsp. bicarbonate of soda · 100 g salted butter at room temperature. For the hotcakes: 6 eggs · 340 g flour · 11 g baking powder · 30 g granulated sugar · 560 ml buttermilk · 300 g ricotta · 1 tbsp. vanilla extract · peel of 1 lemon · 150 g blueberries · maple syrup · kasha (grilled buckwheat) · vegetable oil.

· Prepare the honeycomb butter: Heat the sugar, honey and water in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Bring to a boil and let it cook, without stirring, until it turns into a golden caramel. Remove from the heat, add the baking soda and whip quickly.

Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

Chop the honeycomb into small pieces using a food processor, while setting aside a small portion for serving, and mix the rest with butter.

Cover with cling film and refrigerate · Prepare the hotcakes: separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, egg yolks, buttermilk, ricotta, vanilla extract and lemon peel. Let the mixture cool for 1 hour. Just before making the hotcakes, whip the egg whites until firm, then fold into the batter using a spatula. Heat a skillet over high heat and grease with a small quantity of vegetable oil. Pour in 2 tbsp. of batter, sprinkle with a few blueberries and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, flipping carefully · Serve hot hotcakes with honeycomb butter, maple syrup, remaining honeycomb, kasha and blueberries · Enjoy with an iced coffee made with a Master Origin Ethiopia (40 ml).

Place three ice cubes in a glass, pour the coffee directly over them, followed by the cold water.

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Recipe Glass, View Collection (Nespresso); terrazzo trivet by OK Design.

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renaissance

Nurturing hope In Colombia and Zimbabwe, with support from the new Reviving Origins Program, farmers are breathing new life into farmlands damaged and destabilised by conflict.

This is the story of the first coffees to undertake this journey: ESPERANZA de COLOMBIA and TAMUKA mu ZIMBABWE. Special report by Jean Berthelot de La Glétais Photos Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

Fernando Pedredos, near his farm known as El Tresorito (The Little Treasure) in Colombia’s Caquetà Department.

In Zimbabwe’s Honde Valley, Jesca Kagai decided to become a coffee farmer to improve her quality of life.

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renaissance Despite clashes in the Caquetá Department, Don Edgar Otavo Marín has been growing coffee for several generations, as has his family.

E

ach coffee bean tells a story. Its smooth surface, fragrance and shape are all traces of a unique adventure. That of the land where it was born, and of the women and men who skilfully crafted it. These are the people who are the true soul of a coffee. Here, we set out to meet a few of them in south-western Colombia’s Caquetá Department and in Zimbabwe, a landlocked country deep in southern Africa.

Troubled regions

Coffee growing might have ceased considerably in these territories due to ongoing political issues and conflicts. Instead, it is undergoing a renaissance, one nourished in part by Nespresso’s Reviving Origins Programme, which supports producers and helps these regions – and others around the world – to rebuild over time. Their beans are those found in two coffees, TAM UKA mu ZI M BABWE and ESPERANZA de COLOMBIA (see insets). These two

new creations will be offered on a semi-permanent basis, at the same time each year, until production expands enough to make their sale a constant. In the Caquetá Department, once the epicentre of the tensions that have long troubled Colombia, is the farm of Don Edgar Otavo Marín and his wife, Orfa Nelly Reinoso.

At over 1,000 metres’ altitude in a mountainous region, where humidity hovers at around 80%, Don Edgar’s family has been growing coffee for several generations.

He took over the family farm seven years ago, carrying on his parents’ tradition while adding contemporary know-how to better preserve resources. His efforts were rewarded by increased productivity and, consequently, better income. “That’s what motivates us each day to keep improving quality,” he explains. Beyond that, he savours the satisfaction of witnessing his region being freed from such destructive mayhem. “What keeps me going is seeing the children running free. And the greatest hope is to be able to live in

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renaissance

Yamid Rojas Ultengo manually pulps the freshly picked coffee cherries.

Green coffee beans are dried in the cooperative supported

by Nespresso.

“What keeps me going is seeing the children running free.”

Colombia in peace, in a prosperous part of Caquetá.

For where there is peace, love and reconciliation, there is life and joy.”

The incomparably mellow ESPERANZA de COLOMBIA

Earning the producers’ trust

When it comes to modernising his business, Don Edgar can count on support from Julian Velazquez.

Julian is an agricultural engineer who helps implement the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program™, which in turn helps improve coffee quality and growers’ living conditions, all the while assisting them in adopting more environmentally friendly growing techniques. After studying at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Julian, originally from Bogota, recently discovered Caquetá. In his short time here, he has earned the producers’ trust through talking to them about the best practices to use in growing coffee while minimising negative ecological impacts. One of the other producers in this area

ESPERANZA de COLOMBIA, created by the producers receiving support from the Reviving Origins Program, is a new semipermanent coffee.

Its very mild flavour is heightened by a slight, subtle acidity that develops on the palate when time is taken to savour the brew.

With a wonderful fruity note, this Arabica is balanced and rounded. In a latte macchiato

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(40 ml), its sweet, caramelised side unfolds in aromas of plum and date.

In a cappuccino (25 ml), it releases captivating scents of spices and cocoa.

renaissance

Zachariah Mukwinya works in his coffee-tree nursery in Zimbabwe.

that Julian visits often is Don Fernando Pedreros.

With his wife, Blanca Forero, their daughter, Valentina, and their son, Johan Sebastián, he runs a farm known as El Tesorito, or The Little Treasure. The family remained on the farm during the period of unrest and never stopped producing coffee or raising the farm’s pigs and chickens. “What makes coffee good is your dedication to it, the heart and strength you put into it, coupled with the support of your loved ones,” says Don Fernando. This coffee grower embraces technological progress and makes the most of Julian’s advice, never relenting in his quest to improve his infrastructure and manufacturing processes.

“I want to share my passion with my children,” Don Fernando says with a smile.

Sending her children to school

This desire to pass knowledge down from one generation to the next is also harboured in another land, one far from Colombia and in a country that is slowly getting back on its feet: Zimbabwe. This land produced 15,000 tonnes of coffee in the 1980s, but political instability caused that figure to drop to 500 tonnes in 2016. Jesca Kagai, her husband and her five children live there,

In the Honde Valley, coffee growers sort beans after drying.

in the Honde Valley, near the border with Mozambique.

Their small plantation is home to 2,500 coffee trees and a smattering of banana trees. They also raise a cow, goats and chickens, all of which they purchased with their income as coffee producers. The coffee is Jesca’s domain: inspired by the enthusiasm of her farming neighbours, she became a grower in 1999, convinced that she could improve her family’s quality of life. Her instinct paid off, as she was able to send her children to school and buy enough food to feed her whole family. She’s also been able to rely on support from Technoserve, an NGO that assists companies in developing countries and contributes to implementing the best coffee practices.

“We’re learning how to grow the best coffee possible.

For instance, we were shown how to prune the bottom of the branches, which helps the trees grow faster. It’s advice like this that has helped us sell our production at a higher price and showed us that this can be a

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renaissance

Jesca Kagai runs a small plantation with her husband.

The stable income has enabled her to send her children, like her son Josphat (opposite), to school.

long-term revenue source,” she says. Every month, Jesca attends a skills-sharing workshop that guides growers in combining traditional techniques with innovative methods. The young woman struggles to keep her emotions in check as she talks about a future that now holds true hope. “What we want is to keep our children in school, so they can become rural trainers or teachers and have a real future.”

Helping his community

Jesca’s fervent aspirations are similar to those of fellow Zimbabwean Zachariah Mukwinya. He is what’s known as the ‘local farmer’, meaning the leader of a group of thirty farmers. This former head of the Zimbabwe Coffee Growers Association and current preacher at a local church has worked to unite those of common intention. He even created a plant nursery on his farm, home to thousands of coffee-tree shoots that he sells to his community at very affordable prices. “I want to help my neighbours, all the farmers who want to get started growing coffee, as well as those who want to move on,” says Zachariah. Jesca, Don Edgar, Julian, Don Fernando, Zachariah – dedicated women and men who shape the beans that will ultimately please the palates of coffee devotees around the world. Destinies that show that even troubled lands can be fertile ground for human strength and spirit. _

A fruity awakening with TAMUKA mu ZIMBABWE This Arabica, the culmination of the work of farmers in the Reviving Origins Program, expresses cranberry, berry and grape notes with a fruity flavour brightened by dazzling acidity. Adding milk gives it a smooth and creamy texture. It is better still consumed as a latte macchiato (40 ml), bringing out the caramel notes,

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or as a cappuccino (25 ml), with hints of toasted biscuit.

TAMAKA mu ZIMBABWE, introduced on a semipermanent basis, is giving new life to a long-dormant coffee treasure.

new sensations

Coffee chemistry The three coffees of the Barista Creations range were designed to let coffee-and-milk lovers produce their own barista-quality recipes.

Make your coffee dreams come true!

By Nadia Hamam-Marty Set design Sophie Dupuis-Gaulier Photos Nathalie Carnet

Do the clothes make the barista? Find out by slipping on your Nespresso apron and trying your hand at these three new coffees.

The Barista Creations capsules contain no dairy ingredients.

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The range of permanent coffees is expanding with three new recruits wholly dedicated to milk recipes. Firstly there is the intense Barista Creations Scuro with hazelnut notes, perfect for making a flat white. Secondly the potent Barista Creations Corto, with a spicy note that a cortado brings out beautifully; and finally, the Barista Creations Chiaro – light in colour and intensity – with biscuity aromas (prepared here as a latte macchiato).

Barista Creations Chiaro is born of one of Nespresso’s lightest-ever roasts and is perfect for making a smooth and mild latte macchiato.

Froth some milk using your Barista appliance, an Aeroccino or the steam nozzle of your Creatista Plus.

Pour 110 ml hot milk into a View Recipe glass. Add 110 ml of milk froth. Prepare a 40 ml extraction of a Barista Creations Chiaro capsule. Wait a moment and admire before sipping the three layers, foam-coffee-milk.

How to make a flat white Barista Creations Scuro has a balanced character that is ideal for a flat white.

Using your Creatista Plus – the mechanical expert for making the kind of milk froth used for this recipe –, lightly froth 130 ml of warm milk. Extract a Barista Creations Scuro capsule 40 ml into a Pure Cappuccino cup.

Add about 120 ml of milk foam. Spoon on the remaining 10 ml and, if you’re an artist at heart, you can top your coffee creation with a cocoa rosette.

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Mild or intense on the palate, light beige, medium brown or deep chestnut to the eye – you are the barista of your milky masterpieces.

To make your cortado (top of photo), use a View Espresso cup. Extract a Barista Creations Corto capsule 40 ml. Add 10 to 20 ml of warm milk with a View Recipe spoon. It comes in three sizes and can adapt quantities depending on the result desired. From the contrast of your cortado to the eye-pleasing pattern on your flat white, your coffee is a pleasure for the senses.

Behind any self-respecting barista is a battery of high-quality coffees and ingenious accessories.

With the Nespresso stencil in brushed stainless steel, it’s easy to create this impressive design in unsweetened cocoa powder on top of the foam of your gourmet recipes. Latte art in a flash!

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The aluminium recovered from the capsules is compressed into 40-kilogram blocks before heading to the smelting works.

recycling

The limitless life of the capsule Aluminium has tremendous potential.

This has been a driver of Nespresso’s recycling efforts for more than 25 years.

The partnerships with Velosophy and Caran d’Ache are the latest examples of how Nespresso is bringing its commitment to life. What will your capsules become when you recycle them?

By Nadia Hamam-Marty

Photos: All rights reserved

I

t’s break time. Your chance to make a hot cup of coffee, inhale the fragrance and savour the taste of flavours. But did you know that each of your used capsules, when placed in the special collection bag or dedicated recycling bin, is poised to embark on a meaningful adventure? Day after day, this simple, eco-friendly act is part of the vast, virtuous circle of aluminium. The material that best preserves the coffee’s freshness and aroma is infinitely recyclable. Aluminium’s natural properties remain intact, from one life to the next. Once recovered, compressed and melted down, the used capsules’ aluminium serves in manufacturing a portion of the new Nespresso capsules and countless other new objects, from window frames to auto parts, fizzy drink cans to computer components.

Nespresso has been committed to this action since 1991 and is always

on the lookout for other or new major partners with whom to join forces on innovative projects. Their goals are to optimise upstream waste-treatment channels and encourage consumers to recycle their capsules.

Today, an estimated 9 2% of Nespresso coffee lovers have a recycling solution near their home, but only 28% of capsules are dropped into an appropriate recycling system. To stimulate widespread capsule recycling, the Swiss brand is brimming with ingenious ideas.

A pen and a bike

In 2016, because necessity is the mother of invention, Nespresso began producing emblematic, customdesigned objects from recycled capsules, partnering with well-known specialty brands: the Victorinox Pioneer Swiss Army Knife, the Zena Rex peeler or the iconic 849 ballpoint pen from

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the Swiss brand Caran d’Ache, which took three years of research to complete.

The capsules encasing your favourite coffees are thus given a second life that is both utilitarian and prestigious.

The success of these creations has given the project wings. After the 2018 release of a Caran d’Ache/ Nespresso pen garbed in the satiny blue of the Dharkan capsules, the operation is continuing this year, now featuring the dark, dense green of the Master Origin India. More than 130,000 pens will be distributed worldwide. The handsome writing instrument, made in the Genevan workshops of Maison Caran d’Ache, bears the engraved inscription “Made with recycled Nespresso capsules” on its hexagonal casing.

Another major 2019 initiative is a pioneering bike designed by Swedish start-up Vélosophy. This company – selected during a European competition on circular economy

and sustainability in Brussels – designs, produces and sells bicycles made with recycled aluminium. This business is coupled with another commitment, the imaginative, charitable initiative known as “One for One”: for each twowheeler sold, Vélosophy will donate a bicycle to a young girl in Ghana as a means for her to go to school.

Having such transportation available increases the attendance rate of these schoolgirls and, by consequence, their scholastic results. “We’re promoting green mobility in the West while helping ensure a future for people to whom a bike is life-changing,” says Jimmy Östholm, the start-up’s founder and CEO.

Increased transparency

The ‘Re:Cycle’ seven-speed city bike is elegant, practical and sustainable, embodying the values shared by Vélosophy and Nespresso. Produced in the violet shade used for Arpeggio capsules, the vehicle has a special travel-cup basket in leather and wood, as well as a bell. Overall, 1,500 such bikes will be produced, and the entrepreneur

From Nespresso capsule to Caran d’Ache pen The pens designed by Nespresso and Caran d’Ache are produced in Switzerland from the used capsules provided by the ‘consumer’. First step: the aluminium pods go from the rubbish container to the recycling plant in Moudon, Switzerland.

They come to the sorting line in a jumble with other rubbish, to be separated from the waste stream by a very powerful giant magnet. Second step: the material is transported to the E. Greenwatt Group factory a few kilometres away, to undergo several days of drying. Then, they go back into the sorting line in Moudon, where the capsules are thoroughly crushed. The resulting mixture is dried in furnaces; when it comes out again, the grounds and metal are separated once and for all. The coffee grounds are converted into green energy for a multitude of purposes, like generating a portion of the power needs of the Henniez plant in Switzerland. The recovered aluminium is compressed into 40-kilogram blocks before going to the smelting works.

The cubes will become reels, then bars, or even tubes, as needed. The recycled aluminium arrives at the Caran d’Ache plant in Switzerland in tube form.

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has an unshakeable belief in the undertaking: “It costs more to use recycled aluminium in production, but in the end, I believe consumer demand will justify it. The industry will have to change its production standards.

Our bikes have the highest recycled aluminium content on the market.”

Jimmy Östholm says he is impressed by what Nespresso has achieved: “They are dauntless in their determination.” From Bauxite extraction, through managing water use and carbon emissions during the production process – the Swiss company is already taking capsules using aluminium that meets the new ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative) standard introduced in 2012 – a certification based on nearly 200 criteria – to ensure greater sustainability and greater transparency across the aluminium industry.

Another objective at the heart of Nespresso is to increase the number of capsules recycled by the consumer, who remains the leading link in the chain that would guarantee the project’s success. With only a few exceptions

Photos: All rights reserved - Emmanuel Nguyen Ngoc

The capsules come to the sorting line in a jumble with other trash, to be separated from the waste stream by a giant magnet.

“Re:Cycle” seven-speed city bike was manufactured in the purple shade used for Arpeggio capsules.

A swiftly expanding collection network Jimmy Östholm, founder of the Swedish start-up Vélosophy.

• Nespresso’s global recycling network has more than 100,000 collection points in 44 countries. The Recycling@ home initiatives, with postal pickup, cover 18 countries.

• In 1991, Nespresso introduced the first recycling system in Switzerland, where half of all used capsules collected are recycled. • In this country, there are more than 2,700 Nespresso collection points, as well as a free used-capsule collection service, offering both home and workplace pickup.

These Genevamade Caran d’Ache pens are engraved with the words ‘Made with recycled Nespresso capsules’.

The Caran d’Ache pen made from the green capsules of the Master Origin India.

- Germany, Sweden and Finland –, national recycling infrastructures are not equipped to sort small, light items such as aluminium coffee capsules.

That’s why Nespresso has set up its own recycling scheme.

To be able to recycle such waste, operators need to upgrade their recycling systems and sorting equipment.

Nespresso is working with authorities

worldwide to make the commercial and environmental case for such investment, which increases recycling rates of all light metal packaging, not just coffee capsules. Thanks to these efforts, the citizens of Paris and Vienna can now deposit used capsules in their household recycling bins. In more than 230 cities and towns in Quebec, British Columbia, Canada, residents need only

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place their used capsules in the dedicated bag (preventing contamination by other waste), and then drop the bag in the recycling bin in front of each house or apartment building. Such proactive initiatives clearly demonstrate that sustainable lifestyles are becoming more widespread each day. _ › www.carandache.com › www.velosophy.cc

iced coffee

Summer chill Summer’s searing heat is a reason to kick back and quench your thirst.

Make yourself an iced coffee with these two new limited editions for Australian-style refreshment.

The perfect way to chill out.

Set design Leesa O’Reilly Photos Kris Washusen Production Reload Agency By Nadia Hamam-Marty

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HyperChrome Captain Cook watch, Rado.

A refreshing Long Black Over Ice or a deliciously smooth Flat White Over Ice? Treat yourself to both!

You have an Essenza Mini machine, a Nespresso ice cube tray in its new yellow colour, a set of Monin syrups created especially for Australian iced coffee, and now you’re ready for the Flat White Over Ice recipe.

Pour 10 ml of Monin Caramel syrup into the View Recipe glass (350 ml).

Add 4 Nespresso ice cubes and 120 ml of milk. Stir briskly.

Extract a 25 ml Flat White Over Ice coffee directly into the Recipe glass.

Then, savour a well-deserved break.

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Want something truly thirstquenching? Try the Long Black Over Ice recipe. Pour 10 ml of Monin Coconut syrup into the glass. Add 4 Nespresso ice cubes and 120 ml of San Pellegrino sparkling water.

Stir vigorously with the View Spoon designed for the Recipe glass. Lastly, extract a 25 ml Long Black Over Ice coffee into the glass. Sip and refresh before taking on the waves!

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THIS RANGE OF COFFEES AND RELATED ACCESSORIES MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN YOUR COUNTRY

The Long Black Over Ice and Flat White Over Ice Limited Editions were designed especially to make two iced coffee recipes – of the same two names – inspired by the Australian lifestyle. Like two paths leading to the same beach, they both offer delicious refreshment you can carry with you and keep cold in a Touch Travel Mug.

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There are some accessories you can’t live without.

With its 350 ml capacity and sleek, practical design, the Nomad bottle is ready to take your refreshing drink everywhere you go.

The smartest sidekick for surfing through summer!

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Summer is the time for being outside and basking in the warmth of the sun. Nespresso’s Flat White Over Ice and Long Black Over Ice are as easy to make as they are to take with you, quenching your thirst – and your thirst for freedom! Treat yourself to these iced coffees during a relaxing break or an impromptu outdoor brunch. Yummy!

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Right page: HyperChrome Captain Cook watch and True Thinline watch, Rado.

The Flat White Over Ice capsule contains no dairy ingredients.

Spontaneity, simplicity, pleasure – Australia is a state of mind.

Just like iced coffee

by Nespresso.

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cooking lesson

Braised pork ribs in coffee sauce and iced Ristretto Decaffeinato coffee A delicious, easy-to-make dish: pork ribs in coffee sauce.

Recipe Glass, View Collection (Nespresso).

By Audrey Cosson Photos Virginie Garnier

Serves 4. Preparation time: 20 minutes.

Cooking time: 70 minutes. Marinating time: overnight. For the beverage: 4 capsules of Ristretto Decaffeinato (4 x 40 ml) · 4 x 90 g of ice cubes · 4 x 90 ml of water.

For the ribs: 750 g pork ribs · 500 ml vinegar · 2 l water · 6 bay leaves · 3 cinnamon sticks · 80 g brown sugar · 30 g salt · 4 capsules Ristretto Decaffeinato (4 x 40 ml) · 3 tbsp. soy sauce · 3 tbsp. maple syrup · 3 tbsp. olive oil · 1 tbsp. mustard · 1 tsp. smoked paprika · 300 g of black rice · 6 carrots · fleur de sel · pink peppercorns · 3 coriander sprigs, de-stemmed and chopped.

· Place the vinegar, water, bay leaves, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the pork ribs, reduce the heat, cover and simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes. · Prepare the marinade: prepare 4 Ristretto

Decaffeinatos (40 ml each). In a bowl, mix the coffee with soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, mustard and smoked paprika. Place the pork ribs in an ovenproof dish and cover with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight · The same day, preheat the oven to 220 ° C (425° F, gas mark 7).

Cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Peel the carrots and halve them lengthwise. Arrange them around the meat in the dish and then mix with the marinade. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the ribs halfway through cooking · Serve the ribs and carrots, rice and coffee sauce from the dish. Sprinkle with salt, crushed pink peppercorns and coriander · Enjoy with an iced coffee made with a Ristretto Decaffeinato (40 ml). Place three ice cubes in a glass, pour the coffee directly over them, then add cold water.

Caution: The featured recipes may contain different allergens. Should you have any allergy or intolerance, you are responsible for modifying the ingredients as necessary.

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