1 December 2025  Comforting Moments of the Advent SeasonAustria's Advent season is widely experienced as a cozy and contemplative time. In the four weeks leading up to Christmas, many households embrace a slower pace—candlelight brightens living spaces, the scent of freshly baked cookies wafts through kitchens, and warm beverages become cherished rituals. Seasonal coffee recipes and an array of classic pastries are a notable feature of this festive atmosphere, reflecting Austria's long-standing coffeehouse tradition. While many flavored winter drinks appear during Advent, their exact recipes and names can vary, highlighting both tradition and creativity within Austrian homes and cafés.The Spices of Advent and Their Long JourneyThe characteristic blend of Advent spices—such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger—plays a central role in baking and festive drinks. These same spices flavor traditional Austrian Lebkuchen, the region's classic spiced gingerbread. Food historians confirm that the use of these ingredients, along with honey and specific baking techniques, contributed to the distinctive aroma of holiday treats and helped make gingerbread long-lasting in eras before modern preservation. Most of these spices reached Austrian kitchens via complex trade routes from Asia during the Middle Ages. Initially rare and expensive, they were reserved for special occasions and gradually became intertwined with winter holiday traditions.Spices also played a role in medieval healing practices. Hildegard of Bingen—Benedictine abbess, writer, and one of the most influential thinkers of the 12th century—recommended cinnamon for its warming and strengthening qualities. Modern research confirms several properties she identified: cinnamon has antibacterial effects, supports digestion, and can help regulate blood sugar. Her holistic approach, though rooted in the medical beliefs of her time, continues to influence herbal traditions today. Tradition Meets Trend: A New Winter CoffeeAlthough spice traditions remain popular, new seasonal recipes appear every year. One of the trendsetters in modern home coffee culture is De'Longhi, the Italian company founded in Treviso in 1902 and known for its focus on espresso machines. The brand often responds to contemporary café trends with creative seasonal drinks.For winter 2025, De'Longhi shared three new recipes. Fashion.at selected one of them—the Orange Rosemary Cappuccino—as the most intriguing. With its blend of citrus, herbs, and a touch of cinnamon, it represents how traditional winter flavors can be reimagined in surprising ways. Recipe: Orange Rosemary CappuccinoIngredients (for 1 cup):– 1 espresso – 150 ml milk – 1 tsp orange marmalade or fresh orange zest – 1 sprig fresh rosemary – 1–2 cinnamon sticks – Optional: a little honey, star anise Preparation: Heat the milk briefly with a sprig of rosemary (do not boil). Stir the espresso together with the orange marmalade. Froth the aromatised milk and pour it into the cup. Garnish with a small sprig of rosemary and a cinnamon stick. Sprinkle with orange zest and cinnamon. Images: The left image features an Orange Rosemary Cappuccino, a winter-inspired coffee drink infused with citrus and herbal notes and garnished with a sprig of rosemary. The right image presents the full trio of seasonal creations from De’Longhi’s Winter 2025 Coffee Recipe Collection, displayed alongside a De’Longhi espresso machine. Photo: © Wynn Florante |