The Brew That Sees Me Through
Coffee notes, quotes and memories
What tastes like freshly ground heaven?
What is a hug in a mug?
Answer: Coffee!
Today, October 1, is the first official International Coffee Day to celebrate this divine beverage.
Although, who needs a special day to celebrate coffee?
To an old man, a cup of coffee is like the doorpost of an old house — it sustains and strengthens him. Old Bourbon proverb
And so it is with me!
My favorite cup of coffee used to be the one (or two, or three) I enjoyed with my Mom every day. The first one was the best with precious moments that involved making lists, discussing wish lists, sharing dreams and fantasies. And sometimes a song or two. The early rays of the sunbathing our balcony with a gentle light, ushering in yet another brand-new day. The aroma of the coffee mixed with other fragrances — flowers, incense, and perhaps cooking.
Brewed awakening
One of my memorable coffee experiences is back when I was fifteen. It was during exam preparation time and I was busy reading something at the table. I absent-mindedly reached out for the steel tumbler assuming it was my glass of milk and sipped. It took a few seconds for me to register that the glass was hot. Imagine my shock when my hand came in contact with heat! My glass of milk is never hot, I thought! I yelped in shock and burnt my tongue. anyway,
You’d think I’d be totally put off by the thought of coffee, right?
Wrong!
Later, my Mom added just a few drops of the coffee decoction in my milk, and I had my taste of cold coffee. I was hooked. Thus began my love for coffee.
Life lesson: Don’t believe anyone who says you should go by your first experience with anything!
Coffee brings happy memories of times with family and friends — long afternoons punctuated by piping hot fresh filter coffee and music and conversation. And then we would wonder why we didn’t feel hungry at all. Ha!
I orchestrate my mornings to the tune of coffee. — Harry Mahtar
South Indians are known for being coffee addicts. And we’re quite finicky about it. We are suspicious about every coffee that has not been made in our own kitchen.
My first cup of coffee for the day is my favorite. I say cup loosely. What I mean is a rather large 400ml steel glass. Pure filter coffee. With froth on top.
Until a few months ago, I started my morning with a strong cup of freshly brewed coffee. But now I’ve simply postponed the inevitable by a few hours as I learned it was healthier to manage my diabetes.
I still make the coffee per routine. I wake up, wash up, light the lamp, and have a quick conversation with the divine, which may or may not involve some stern moments. Even the divine slip up, you know, and they need to be told about it.
Then I go into the kitchen, milk sachet in hand. I pour it into a large utensil and set the milk to boil. Water bubbles on the other stove. I spoon pure coffee powder to the top half of my filter and pour boiling water over it.
As I watch the milk steadily rise, my senses are acutely aware of the “tik, tik, tik” sounds of the drops of coffee decoction settling in the lower half of the filter, and the rising aroma of the coffee. I switch off the stove just in time to avoid the milk overflowing.
And now for the moment of truth. (Or lies, it really doesn’t matter, because this is a sacred moment between me and my coffee).
I like to savor the bitter taste of this pure fresh coffee. I fill my glass with the just-boiled milk until it is just a little short of the brim.
Then, carefully dismantling the top half of the filter, wincing at the heat, I pour the aromatic decoction from the bottom half into my glass of milk, until it is just the right color.
Important to note: NOT milk to decoction, but decoction to milk. This makes a difference. I stir it in with a spoon. Because, unlike 007, even though I am a huge fan, stirred, not shaken!
Fun fact: I got my first cellphone in 2003 and my ring tone has always been the Dr.No version of the theme music of James Bond movies. In fact, people think of me — not James Bond — when they hear the tune now. Truth!
Then, it is time for my first sip of coffee of the day. A small one. The coffee trickles down my tongue, which reluctantly allows it to move on, into my throat, energizing my system. I take sip after blissful sip.
And all is right with the world.
I love days when my only problem is tea or coffee
Storytime! How did coffee come into India?
I salute Sheik Gemaleddin, mufti of Mocha, who is said to have discovered the virtues of coffee about 1454.
But did you know that India got her first coffee beans only in the 17th century?
Legend has it that, Baba Budan, who was on a pilgrimage, managed to get through customs (or whatever system they had those days) seven coffee seeds from Yemen. Yep — ordinary people weren’t allowed it in their luggage. These seeds were then planted in the hills of Chandragiri in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka.
Yes, yes, that’s where I live! The hills are alive with the sound of … coffee being poured!
But although coffee came to India, for more than a century, it was confined to this area.
The real credit for introducing it to the rest of the country goes to the aptly named Mr.JH Jolly, a manager in a trading company in Madras. After a lot of hiccups over the decades, today India stands as the 6th largest producer of coffee in the world.
In fact, South India got her first real coffee circa 1940. What a relief! It feels like I cut it real close by being born in the 60s!
Now, coming to one of the craziest questions I’ve ever come across:
Is coffee is good for you?
What about its health benefits? A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, are:
- less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia
- have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes
However, they are not saying that coffee can prevent those conditions. As with anything, moderation is key.
And now…some of my all-time favorite coffee quotes!
Everybody should believe in something. I believe I’ll have another coffee ~Author Unknown
Coffee is a language in itself — Jackie Chan
There are two types of people. Coffee people and Sad people.
Good ideas start with brainstorming. Great ideas start with coffee.
I plan to carpe diem but first I need to carpe coffee
Imagine a world without coffee……sorry, I need a moment!
Money can’t buy you happiness but it can buy you coffee, which is kind of the same thing
Pessimists see the cup half-empty. Optimists are already brewing another cup
Happy International Coffee Day!
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today?
Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles ❤ Did you smile today?
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Here’s a lovely post from Gabriella Korosi about coffee with her grandmother
