He was my cream, and I was his coffee –
And when you poured us together, it was
something.
~ Josephine Baker
The bouquet of coffee
is something that the majority of us just cannot seem to resist when we catch
it wafting in the air – we are each drawn to it just as we are each drawn to the
pheromones of our partners. Bangalore, over the last decade, has seen an unprecedented
shift in weather; the seasons do not season like they once did, yet, what
remains is the pleasantness in the air, and come December, one begins to bite
one’s lips (not in the carnal manner that you seem to be imagining it in) but with
the nippiness, and one aches to enfold one’s fingers around a steamy cup of coffee
or tea based on the fondness of one’s taste palate.
So what does the expression
‘body of the coffee’ actually mean. It simply means the physical properties, the
sensation that is produced as coffee settles on your tongue, rolls about while coating
it with its grainy, heavy, oily or watery flavour. This sensation is achieved
by the strength of the coffee beans and the oils that are extracted from it
during the brewing procedure. The drip, or filter-brewing custom, creates a
lighter coffee with lesser oils, while the French Press, or an espresso shot
will consist of a macho body, because the vital oils tend to linger in the brew
lending it a full (Sumatra), medium (Yemen Mocha) or light (Mexican) viscosity.
Aroma, mouth feel, bitterness, sweetness, acidity and aftertaste are the significant traits of coffee, and when they come together do we feel that the sweetest thing to have is the bitterest coffee, or that coffee is ground heaven, and more such.
I do concur with the
staunch believers that one cannot, and should not, tamper with the taste of
coffee made in the conventional style, mainly for the fear of squandering the central
qualities listed above, but then, come on people, how would you discover the
addictiveness of the butterfly, if it is constantly the reliable missionary
that you have been practising up until now. For those who are adventurous
enough to embrace a newer experience, you shall find below a holiday coffee
recipe a friend shared when I was at her place. For it you will need –
1 pound of medium-bodied
coffee (I prefer the Colombian which is low on acidity, carries a strong
caramel sweetness and a dash of nutty undertones)
2 teaspoons finely
ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dry ground
ginger
1 teaspoon delicately
crushed nutmeg
1 vanilla bean
(preferably split lengthwise)
Method
Bring together the
coffee, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl. Scrape the vanilla beans
from the pod thereafter into the mixture and blend well. When done, stock the crush
in an airtight bottle and pamper yourself, as well as your loved ones, to an excellent
fusion of the ever-rejuvenating coffee, soaked with the sensuality of the
spices.
Whilst sipping on your cheerful cup, do enjoy these befitting words
from The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee by
Honoré de Balzac:
“This coffee falls into your stomach, and straightway there
is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand
Army of the battlefield, and the battle takes place. Things remembered arrive
at full gallop, ensuing to the wind. The light cavalry of comparisons deliver a
magnificent deploying charge, the artillery of logic hurry up with their train
and ammunition, the shafts of with start up like sharpshooters. Similes arise,
the paper is covered with ink; for the struggle commences and is concluded with
torrents of black water, just as a battle with powder.”
