And the ritual seems to be the same. At least according to Austrian Nespresso.
This poster "The Art of Coffee Tasting. WATCH-SMELL-TASTE and a lot of detailed instructions" arrived to the hut in the Alps together with a free present of "tasting spoon". I hope it was meant as a joke. How can you otherwise politely explain the small print at the bottom: don't forget to wash your spoon between tastings? Did Clooney do?
I don't drink coffee in the afternoon. And my sleepy brain can't see the point of this in the morning, but keeps wondering: why didn't they copy the last stage of wine tasting? Just don't forget to spit it out. And try the next one. From a different coffee-maker.
Finger food is an exciting topic. Common sense helps. If it jumps off the plate when touched with the knife, lay down your arms. Use your fingers. (Washing them before and after is not optional).
www.howtoeat.net
Let us know what you think about table manners.
I've heard it millions of times - chew your food properly. 20 times till you swallow? 40? But instructions always lacked a convincing argumentation. Till now. Chew it properly or you might be dead. Delicious but deadly mochi: The Japanese rice cakes that kill http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42537953
Two people have died in Japan and several are in a critical condition after choking on traditional rice cakes as part of the new year celebrations.
They may seem harmless, but each year the hard-to-eat snack claims several lives, prompting annual warnings from officials.
What is a mochi?
The cakes, known as mochi, are cute round buns made of soft and chewy rice.
The rice is first steamed and then pounded and mashed.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Mochi-pounding at a shrine in Tokyo
The resulting sticky rice mass is then formed into the final mochi shape and baked or boiled.
Families traditionally celebrate New Year by cooking a vegetable broth in which they heat the mochi.
How do they kill?
The buns are chewy and sticky. Given they are far bigger than bite-sized, they need to be laboriously chewed before swallowing.
Anyone who can't chew properly - like children, or the elderly - will be likely to find them hard to eat.
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
If you can't chew them, please cut them, emergency services urge
If not chewed but simply swallowed, the sticky mochi gets stuck in the throat - and can lead to suffocation.
According to Japanese media, 90% of those rushed to hospital from choking on their new year's dish are people aged 65 or older.
What's a safe way to eat them?
Chew, chew, chew. If that's not possible, the rice cakes need to be cut into smaller pieces.
Each year, authorities issue public warnings in the run-up to the new year festivities advising that people - especially the very young and elderly - should only eat mochi cut down to smaller little chunks.
Yet despite the warnings, each year there continue to be deaths linked to the dish.
Anthony Bourdain
I don't drink coffee in the afternoon. And my sleepy brain can't see the point of this in the morning, but keeps wondering: why didn't they copy the last stage of wine tasting? Just don't forget to spit it out. And try the next one. From a different coffee-maker.
Quiz: Can You Identify These Breads from Their Pictures?
AFP
AFP