Coffee, as you know, is a universal drink. There may not be any one not familiar with, even if they do not drink it. While there are many varieties for serving coffee, hot or cold; with or without milk or cream; strong or light; the fact remains, after a cup of coffee your nerves get the stimulus and you get a kick – for the content of coffee does the trick. Because of this scintillating effect, particularly in the early morning after brushing the teeth, a hot cup of coffee becomes a dire need for many South Indians.
Why South Indians? Geographically North India is situated inside severe tropical conditions and climatic changes – from oppressive summer to cold winter seasons, unlike South India. Due to this and owing to cultural aspects and age-old traditions, the colonial-cousin of coffee, namely tea, plays an important role as being the morning drink as well as one needed intermittently throughout the day.
Southern India, especially Tamil Nadu tilts in favour of coffee; and you cannot find a home in the middle-class and upper middle-class bracket that is not waking up with a cup of coffee in one hand and the daily newspaper in the other. This trend is mostly prevalent in the nearby state of Karnataka as well, where the popular coffee-growing region Goorg is situated. In Kerala most of the people go for Chaya – the other name for tea.
Talking of coffee, the most preferred choice for many is filter-coffee. Selected varieties of coffee seeds are ideal for making aromatic decoction; they are roasted in a way followed for decades; ground suitably – not so nice nor rough, but in between; added with a slight dose of chicory for thickness in decoction; and the popular brand of house-blend coffee powder for use in the filter is got ready. The secret why it is not ground nicely is, it will escape the filter-plate and join the coffee decoction below and make a mess of the coffee preparation.
South Indian women are experts in preparing the best decoction; add thick boiled milk; add half-sugar (more sugar will again spoil the coffee taste by its sweetness) and serve hot, steaming coffee to their family members, to win their hearts. In hosting guests visiting homes, coffee plays an important role; and so women are cautious in serving good filter-coffee, lest it will entail many comments and heartburns from them, bringing forth many unpleasantness later.
In the modern age there are many brands and varieties of instant-coffee powders available in the market. You can see those companies spend millions of money in advertising them in the media. But ironically these brands are advertised as one you cannot differentiate from filter-coffee and gives the same taste. So you can understand the superiority of a good, tasty, steaming, aromatic cup of filter-coffee, which will leave a lingering taste in your mouth ever after.
(Ramaswamy Sundaram is a South Indian freelance writer online; accredited Expert Author at this site; has turned out more than 3500 write ups on assorted niches and topics; you can contact him for your writing needs.)
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