Another coffee, more sustainable, more respectful of the work of the entire supply chain, slower, more aromatic, more aware. Along the avenues of the Botanical Garden of Palermo, a small treasure chest of nature and beauty, an entire day dedicated to quality coffee, for the second edition of Palermo Coffee Festivalthe first event in Italy dedicated to the world of Specialty Coffee and sustainable coffee, oil and wine supply chains.
The Festival, organized by the Palermo roasting company Morettinoin collaboration with CoopCulture and Orto Botanico, has brought together around 50 exhibitors – selected from the best micro roasteries in Italy, Sicilian wine cellars and producers of extra virgin olive oil, flours from ancient grains, tropical fruits, tea and tobacco, aromatic medicinal plants, Sicilian spirits – attracting the attention of over three thousand people.
The theme chosen for this second edition of the festival was “Unpublished Sicily“, made by visionary and courageous producers who believed in the potential of the Island by betting on new crops or rediscovering lost ones to enhance and tell its identity. A bit like Morettino has done, who for years has been carrying out an experimental project for the cultivation of native Sicilian coffee, in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Palermo and the Botanical Garden. Here, in the historic Colonial Gardens, at the beginning of the 20th century, the first experiments with coffee cultivation took place which today, 120 years later, it has been decided to resume. During the Festival it was possible to visit the botanical gardens and admire the historic plants of Coffee Arabica – over 3 meters high with small drupes peeking out from the highest branches – kept in the Serra Carolina and the experimental coffee field which hosts 25 Coffea Arabica plants. But it was also an opportunity to think about the need for ethical and conscious consumption of coffee through a comparison with the inspiring principles of Slow Food Coffee Coalitionan international network that brings together all the players in the coffee supply chain and is based on the principles of traceability, sustainability, biodiversity and respect for work.
“We need to promote circular agriculture – he said Erminia Nodari, representatives of the Coffee Coalition – and look for coffees that tell a story, the result of agriculture based on soil regeneration. Everyone must do their part, even the consumer who must know what he is consuming.” Themes perfectly in line with the main objective of the Palermo Coffee Festival: to create and spread coffee culture because, as he loves to repeat Arturo Morettino, soul of the festival together with his son Andrea, “there is no flavor without knowledge”. Thus was born the idea of comparing coffee with two products that are the pride of Made in Italy, wine and extra virgin olive oil, giving rise to masterclasses, all sold out. After all, the numbers of this edition of the Festival speak for themselves: 10 thousand coffees prepared, 400 wines tasted, around two thousand tastings of extra virgin olive oil.
The tasting by the glass of coffee conducted by, for example, was interesting Andrei Godina, one of the leading experts on Specialty Coffee in Italy and editor of the Chameleon Guide: “Coffee – he explained – has many more aromatic compounds than wine and they can be appreciated better in a glass”. Hence the invitation to consume Specialty Coffee also in combination with food. The parallels with wine in the masterclasses conducted by Luigi Salvo, Sommelier Ais, are also curious. The live shows instead had as protagonists the Italian Barista champion Federico Pinna, the Italian Latte Art champion Matteo Beluffi and the Master ice cream maker Antonio Cappadonia who made the coffee granita by hand, as it was done in the old days. Then there are three educational sessions, dedicated to the sensorial aspects of coffee, curated by Sca Italy and Andrej Godina, and extra virgin olive oil, led by journalist Maria Antonietta Pioppo. Finally, two workshops for children organized by Orto capovolto, to help the little ones discover how to reuse coffee while having fun.
“We were overwhelmed by the curiosity of many enthusiasts and coffee lovers, especially foreigners, who participated with a great spirit of sharing, which was among the expectations and objectives of the festival – he says Andrea Morettino, fourth generation of the family of roasters – We recorded great enthusiasm among the Sicilian and international guests who came for the event, who, walking through the avenues of the Botanical Gardens, were able to taste exclusive Specialty coffees, explore new terroirs of Sicilian wines and oils and discuss directly with the producers present at the tasting tables and with the masterclass speakers, listening to their stories and many curious anecdotes. This success motivates us to continue on the path of disseminating coffee culture, always embracing our extraordinary land, which continues to inspire and surprise us. See you in 2025 with the new edition of the Palermo Coffee Festival”.
