Of course size matters! Nobody likes a small cup when it comes to coffee, and I always prefer mine strong and black. I need at least one cuppa to get me through the day. I got the hang of coffee while preparing for my tenth board. It was a compulsion at home to set the alarm clock at five in the morning. A dictum set by my dad who believed that it was the best time to practice maths! I never quite understood the full justification of this torturous norm because most of the days I used to nod off on top of my maths book even before my brain could register the problem and structure the solution. I started my morning coffee, in order to survive through the boards and of course to get over the morning slumber.
In my high school years, I developed a more sensitive taste towards coffee. I tried the famous Filter Kaapi while on a trip to South India. Right from the art of pouring the Kaapi to the strong, flavourful aroma of the brewed coffee beans; the whole experience changed my coffee preference for good. It was no comparison to the instant coffee I was habituated to drinking back home. As a result, I was compelled to bid goodbye to instant coffee forever.
Interestingly, the first coffee beans were smuggled into India from Yemen in the seventeenth century by an Indian pilgrim, Baba Budan on his visit to Mecca. This was the start of the European coffee trade, which gradually expanded coffee plantations all across the globe.
The official establishment of the India Coffee Board came into existence only in 1907. The southern part of India is the coffee-growing hub of the country and almost a whacking seventy percent of the production is exported globally. Recently, Orissa and the North Eastern States of India have also commenced the production of coffee.
According to African folklore, the first coffee was accidentally discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi. The roasted form of modern coffee had its roots in Arabia only around the thirteenth century. In America, coffee became the most popular beverage after the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
I tasted my first Frappe in the Starbucks in Toronto in the late nineties. It was an instant love story that has lasted to date. Coffee replaced my tea preferences during the time I lived in North America. I have a biased partiality when it comes to Tim Hortons Coffee. I rank it the topmost commercial café outlet for the quality and budget it maintains in regards to coffee.
The flavour and strength of a cup of coffee are dependent on three general criteria: the Brew, the Roast and the Beans. Did you know that the lighter the roast, the higher is the acidic and caffeine content? The brewing method determines the taste of the coffee. I use the French press and occasionally the Drip for brewing my cuppa at home. The quality of beans determines the method of your brew and obviously the quality of the drink in your cuppa. Arabica is the popular choice of bean amongst coffee purists.
From weight loss to skin treatments coffee is packed with several benefits and many celebrities are die-hard fans of this invigorating drink. However, too much of anything is never a good choice and I think most of you are well acquainted with the consequences of caffeine overload. Therefore, don’t go overboard with your cuppa.
Every year since 2015, the 1st of October is observed as The International Coffee Day worldwide. This day is celebrated to appreciate the toil and labour of the coffee farmers, for the propaganda of fair trade and in honour of the popular beverage. Therefore, be it the Italian cappuccino, the strong brew of the Turkish, the simple French Latte, the Mocha if you favour a bit of chocolate do raise a cuppa and don’t forget to let me know your favourite coffee recipe in the comment section. Cheers to all you fella as I enjoy my Friday evening with a generous glass of Irish Coffee to get my weekend started on a high note!😉
