Annual Pilgrimage to the Aroma Festival

Sydney's glorious winter's day

Another perfect Sydney winter's day.

Since 1998 The Rocks played host to the annual Aroma Coffee Festival, which turned into Aroma Festival a few years ago to incorporate more elements - spice, tea, chocolate, sweets - which unfortunately took the focus away from the appreciation of the fine art that is coffee. Nevertheless it was still a beautiful day out MOST of the times - of the years they held the festival, only once do I remember it raining (yes, I have been to every single one of them). 

And as my annual coffee pilgrimage is now no longer satisfying my coffee sensors (occupying a significant part of my brain), this event simply became our regular July dessert outing. At least there's La Renaissance and Baroque, if all else fails, a few of their perfect macarons will send me home happy as Larry.

The thing about the Aroma Festival is that the crowd size seems to increase exponentially as the day goes by. Definitely worth arriving before 11, and even better - get here at 10, so you will not queue behind more than 5 people at any one stall at that time. Check the program and get to the stalls you want to seek out first so you won't get put off by the long queues by midday.

Standard stop when at The Rocks - picking up breakfast at La Renaissance - queue first, decide what you want while you wait. Fluffy brioche, flaky palmier, flavoursome almond croissant (KT this is for you!) and half dozen of their beautiful macarons. Adriano, you need to teach your macaron chefs about the finer details of the mac shell - they need to be light, yielding to the slightest pressures between your tongue and the top of your palate, not sticky, not sickeningly sweet (so to allow the flavour of the filling to shine) and have no air pocket within the shell. Adriano's macs have amazing flavours but in terms of texture, if memory serves me right, they sometimes generated a CRUNCH, are very sweet, and frequently have that sinful air pocket within.

Two coffees shops I tasted - Cafe Cherry Beans - not bad, a little thin for my liking (probably from the lighter roast), and wasn't particularly flavourful. Then one from The Wood Roaster - again the espresso was a little less full-bodied than I'd hoped for, but according to my other coffee aficionado friends who enjoy a milky coffee, that it was smooth and beautiful drinking. So, half a kilo should do me for my breakfast coffee then.

There were no shortage of the sweet stuff, but not all of them "divine" enough to tempt me. With maybe the exception of gelato filled cannoli or brioche sandwich - perfect for breakfast, really!!

Must say despite the lack of coffee stalls (Gloria Jeans doesn't count) it was a great day. The Latin Quarter had live salsa band playing and people dancing; the Continent had opera singers and jazz artists performing; the Orient had lion dance on stilts (!!). Fabulous fun. Will go again... and again... and again.... 

CS