I was never into any kind of beverage except for a glass of milk in the morning for the last 30 years. Coffee was only when I traveled, but never on a routine basis. So, one fine day when I decided, “What the heck, I don’t want to drink milk ever again!”, the journey to find ‘my kind of beverage’ began. I tried tea, but the taste just did not appeal to me. Then came coffee, which started as less milk and more coffee in a cup, and went on to become an essential part of my day. If I didn’t have a cup of coffee a day, I missed the aroma and taste. If I had more than 1 cup a day, I was hyper and couldn’t sleep. Hence, began my love-hate relationship with coffee.
The love for coffee and the saga began. I started reading more about coffee and surviving on more and more of it. Whenever I got the opportunity, I tried coffee in all kinds of combinations – filtered, beaten, boiled, cold, or instant, with milk, less milk, no milk, less sugar, et all. I even tried black coffee – I had to taste it to hate it, right?? I wanted my name to be in sync with Coffee 🙂 If you said “Coffee” at the beginning of a conversation, I had your crisp and clear attention. And even more than the coffee experiments, I loved the memes and coffee quotes.
The trend taking the coffee world by storm these days is “Dalgona Coffee”. The word “Dalgona” is a Korean word meaning sweet, milky, honeycomb toffee. This drink has its origins in India and Macau, where it is also known as whipped coffee or beaten coffee. This Dalgona Coffee gained popularity when it appeared on a Korean TV show called Pyunstorang in January, thus starting the #dalgonacoffeechallenge. As most of you would know, our desi style of coffee called “pheti hui ” coffee or beaten coffee is the same thing with the only difference being the way you put the milk in it. For me, the challenge was more of “Daldona Coffee” than the “Dalgona Coffee”!
The evolution of the word “Coffee” is like this -> the Arabic word “quwwa “ -> the Turkish “kahve” -> the Dutch “koffie”. Do you know how coffee was discovered? It was discovered accidentally by a 9th-century Ethiopian goat-herder named Kaldi. He noticed his goats acting erratically after they ate certain red berries from a Coffea arabica tree. He tried some of them himself and soon became as hyper as his herd. The coffee plantations started in the 14th century and spread throughout Egypt, Syria, and Turkey.
Coffee was brought to India by the Sufi saint Baba Budan from Mocha, Yemen while he was on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He returned with seven seeds of coffee strapped to his chest and planted them in his hermitage in Chikmagalur, Karnataka in 1670. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, India is the sixth-largest producer of coffee in the world with almost 80% of it being exported. It is renowned for growing the world’s best shade-grown coffee. This 100 billion dollar a year industry supporting 25 million people worldwide, is singularly responsible for keeping me going through the day. And I have to admit, it makes me wonder, how did I ever survive mornings without it?
If you want to try a new Coffee style, try these recipes given by a few of our authors: Vietnamese Egg Coffee and Spiced Irish Coffee
Keep Calm and Coffee On!!
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rajyashree sinha
Very detailed and informative riti loved the way you have described and woven it into a story
Thank you so much for reading it and encouraging me 🙂
Awesome… bitter sweet… just like coffee❤️
Thank you so much..you are one of my coffee mates 🙂
It was an interesting read on coffee. Such detailed research. I didn’t know so much. Well narrated experience of coffee.
Thank you so much for appreciating it…. 🙂
Your love for coffee and research for the same speaks for itself. Great job!!
Aye aye…my partner in crime 🙂
Very interesting read Ritika.. I am a coffee lover but didn’t do any research on it ever.. I am more enlightened about my love now !! Keep writing more
Thanks a lot Amol for reading and appreciating it.
This article was forced upon me by Rashmi, she said, if you love coffee so much, write about it.
What a aromatic writing. Loved it! Keep writing and looking forward to some more!
Thanks a lot Madhu for reading and encouraging.
Wow so interesting and engrossing!! Wonderfully expressed.
Thank you Manju bua for appreciating it. Means a lot.
Great! Loved to see your article Ritika! I am already craving for a cup of coffee, and I am getting one for myself.
Cheers Ganeshwari. So good to get a comment from you.
Hope to meet someday and have coffee together.
Well thanks to the goat herd, I can adult! 😄 Great article, Ritz. I learned a lot about our favourite drink here. Keep writing!
Thanks to the Goats…hahaaa..yes…. we belong to the same herd … cheers.
And thank you for appreciating the article.
Great article Ritz. P.S.- mommy, this is the reason why you stay up till 2 in the morning.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
My first online lecture from my daughter.
Will try to adhere to normal timing madam.
Tempted 👏👏from chai lover
Thanks a lot for reading it Shwetangee…
Means a lot if it comes from a chai lover 🤩
Nice article. If you know so much about coffee please do research on sleep as well because you sleep soooooo late mommy
Oh my goodness… another lecture from the daughter…
I really need to sleep on time 😂😂😂😂😂
Great write up on Coffee. I love all types of coffee and consuming it since 1957 when I was in school in Calcutta, now Kolkata. My first coffee was ‘Rawa Coffee’ in a South Indian restaurant with my classmate.
The best coffee I ever had was ‘Cold Coffee with Icecream’ while in Baroda in 1969. Next was taste of ‘ Cappuccino Coffee’ offered by my daughter in Melbourne.
Now with Ritika’s article I have been educated precisely on Coffee ! Thanks to her for keeping me posted with research.
Thanks a lot Papa for appreciating it.
Yes, our favourite time pass was the cold coffee.
Riti, a lot of information woven in your story. I had tried the instant variety, long time ago when I was a research student. Somehow it did not suit my physiology. I am the Darjeeling tea leaf type, that too a cup or two before afternoon. If I take any caffeine after that time, I lose that night’s sleep! I like the type of coffee that is found in South Indian homes and restaurant- served in a steel glass & bowl! But, I love the smell of Coffee😉So refreshing!!
Thsnk you so much..
Yes bua, the smell of coffee is what intrigued me in the beginning to explore it.
You are right, the south Indian filter coffee is really good.
The word itself is so catchy…COFFEE. How can one ignore the taste of it when it has so many stories (with friends or without friends)and strings attached to it. Very well written article, rather the journey for the love for coffee. So much to know about the history. Keep writing Ritika, so many unforgettable moments that we have had on during coffee conversations😀😀
Thank you so much Alpha.
N yes how can we forget our innumerable coffee gupshup..lot of memories were created.
Lots of love ❤