I continued: "My coffee should have that golden brown color or I loathe drinking it. I like the strong smell, the brew, the bold taste, the flavour. I never liked drinking coffee in big quantity in one go; rather, sip in small measure with regular intervals. There is nothing like freshly roasted coffee. I don't prefer the mug or the cup-n-saucer (may be okay for tea); but the steel cup ( baitu- filter-kaapi in typical Bangalorean lingo)".
My sister, just then, interrupted: "The coffee beans should be ideally the big ones; grind the beans as close to the brew time as possible; use a coffee filter; don't use a percolator or clothes to filter. When you pour boiling water, make sure the coffee decoction drips very slowly, literally drop by drop . A drop of decoction when touched with the right thumb and point finger should have a sort of semi-solid feel. The coffee powder should have a blend of Plantation A and B".
Joining the conversation, my wife: "You can add a small percentage of chicory and a pinch of salt for achieving the strength. While the hot decoction is extracted, boil the milk simultaneously. Add half-a-tea(coffee?)-spoon of sugar for a cup of coffee. Importantly, to have a better taste, sip the coffee in steel cup."
"Most important thing, before I forget, NEVER RE-HEAT COFFEE" , your moods become insipid; also coffee poured from a flask will not give you a grade-1 aroma, at times it even renders a stale taste" raising her voice, she dutifully scored a point.
"Anybody can drink coffee anytime for any reason" my brother-in-law opined, adding that "if you are a good coffee drinker, it is difficult to accept mediocre quality". True. I reckon many a time that it was safer to compromise to drink tea, than to gamble with second-grade or poor quality coffee. It is hard, at the same time, to resist good coffee. In some restaurants and homes, you get light anemic colour coffee, milk diluted, coffee decoction carelessly or ignorantly prepared, with heaps of sugar mixed, - all makes you feel ' why at all I asked for the beverage'. Bangalore, by and large, is the best Indian destination for coffee-lovers, while there may be good coffee-joints in patches elsewhere. It may not be overstating the fact that coffee and South Indian (Bangalore and Chennai, in particular) are made for each other!
It is a pleasure to use all our senses to enjoy the coffee. Even if your eyes are closed, the aroma will entice you to the beverage. Once the coffee is served, the frothy golden brown color is visually perceived. Hold the cup towards your lips, gently slurp (don't swallow straight away!), mix with the taste-buds and the flavour reaches all areas of the tongue. Observe the mood. Now let the coffee gently trickle down the throat to complete the true spirit. The quality of the coffee is also determined by the duration of the lingering of the flavour; the longer the better. I have seen some people gulp it as if a ritual, without appreciating the art of sipping good coffee.
A characteristic Bangalorean will easily teach you how to have a bite of dosa and alternate it with a sip of coffee. Agreed. That is the way you should enjoy your breakfast to be experienced!
A recent study claims that drinking coffee can help one live longer, though too much caffeine is not advised. I also learn that those drinking 2 - 3 cups a day were 10 per cent less likely to die from ailments like heart disease, respiratory disease, injuries, diabetes, infections ....., those drinking 4 - 5 cups per day were 12 per cent less likely to die, than non-coffee drinkers.
Why take a chance, go and grab your cuppa, right away!
Your feedback is welcome: krs1957@hotmail.com
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