From September 23rd through October 2nd, Tottori is hosting a World Coffee Summit. Last weekend they held a, um, Coffee Meet Food Grand Prix. Let’s just call it a Coffee and Food Fair.
This was a fun little event where we got to sample a few examples of food and coffee from local restaurants and coffee shops. You then get to vote on the food that you think is best for a winner. I would have taken pictures of the food, but I literally wolfed it down as soon as I got it (they had these deep fried pancake type treats with red beans, SOOOOO GOOOOOOD). Andrea won the coffee game, as she ordered this special caramel Camel Treat.
I knew Japan was into their coffee, and even though this was relatively small, I don’t think I’ve seen so many blends of coffee in one place. Most places here don’t brew large caraffes of drip coffee. They usually freshly pour hot water through the grounds as you order, so you get the full freshness and flavor of the bean. The end result is a more expensive, but ultimately more flavorful cup of coffee, better than anything you can get at Starbucks (not including Frappuccinos).
And unbeknownst to me and Andrea going in, the Tottori prefecture has a sister relationship with the St. James parish of Jamaica, and UCC has relationships with the coffee farmers there. Jamaica is also very big on their coffee, as the Blue Mountain coffee is their caffeinated pride.
So if you come to Tottori, be sure to check out one of the many Kissaten (coffee shops) we have about town.
We also have a cat cafe, but more on that later.
Tottori Awesome 