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.”

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