More than a cup of Joe!

“A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee.” It was with this tagline that Café Coffee Day (CCD) opened its doors in 1996, and soon turned into our very first desi Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe (of Central Perk, Friends fame) — an all-day café that brought not only the good old cup of Joe back in vogue with a catwalk-style transformation and set the play field for more coffee-only brands; but became the modern-day version of the Indian Coffee House where the younger India hung out, dated, forged friendships and brewed new ideas. In fact, it was in one such coffee place called Social where the now iconic wearable tech brand BoAT was born.

But back then few — not CCD founder VG Siddhartha or his peers — could fathom how the tagline in years to follow would not just sum up the phoenix-like story of the brand itself but encapsulate the sensational journey of kaapi since its discovery in Ethiopia in the 15th century. After which, it went on to capture the minds and palates of the royal, the free-thinking leaders and creators, earning colonial patronage, getting banned, and then resurging as this teasing, extremely addictive modern-day brew that would enslave not just the drinker, but the maker, the roaster, the barista and even the chefs. Not even the legendary Sufi saint Baba Budan who bravely smuggled seven beans to India from a coffee-obsessed Yemen in the 17th century to start the tradition of coffee growers in Chikkamagaluru could have imagined how the Ethiopian Black Gold would prove its mettle.

The brewing history

Like most ingredients, coffee grew in the wild forest of the Ethiopian plateau before a goat herder Kaldi chanced upon the berries, brewed it, and found the drink to be invigorating, albeit bitter. The find was reported to an abbot of the local monastery who introduced it to his peers, who in turn popularised it in the market and took it to the Arabian Peninsula. From here, coffee came to the masses and the aristocracy of Yemen, who in turn introduced it to Suleiman The Magnificent and his beloved Hurrem. Such was the love for the brew that it initiated coffee houses called Qahveh Khaneh — spaces where people met to enjoy coffee and some free-spirited talk. It was here that Baba Budan first discovered the bean that would soon weave a similar story in India two centuries later. The introduction of coffee in the harem of the Ottoman Empire proved to be the turning point for the bean’s future. Introduced as a perk to the Valide and to the Sultan’s favourite concubine, coffee soon became a part of the diplomatic table and travelled the world. In fact, from Hurrem Sultan to Kosem — the era of powerful women that is often referred to as the Sultanate of Women — coffee aced as this power broker. So much so that coffee makers of the time who are credited for designing the original technique of coffee roasting and slow brewing over hot sand were prized possessions during the reign of the Sultanas, and the most powerful people in the imperial court, and whichever royal house they went to as part of their political association. One of the many reasons that coffee was blamed when the women of the harem became too powerful than the Sultan themselves, with feeble attempts made to ban the brew under the reign of Murad IV.

For coffee, however, that upheaval only made the bean earn the moniker of black gold, which by the time had reached not just the Mughal court where it was enjoyed as divine wine, and earned its stripe as the “drink of the Padshah Begum” but to the court of Queen Victoria and Catherine The Great, where it was a “privy drink”.

The atlas of coffee

What gave kaapi that indomitable ace? A rather short answer to this mystery is the instant alertness that the caffeine rush results in which in turn, allows us to be alert and more engaged in any conversation thereby fostering a fruitful exchange of ideas, says Rizwan Amlani, founder Dope Coffee Roaster. Add that, he continues, “to an informal, all-inclusive nature of a coffee house, and it becomes the perfect setting to foster free thinking and fuels creativity. This atmosphere of stimulation is the key reason why coffee houses were always a popular hangout for not just political thinkers, revolutionaries, authors and writers but the common man as well, who found a kind of belongingness and equality in the brew and the café.” No wonder, that through India’s independence and after Indian Coffee House in its many formats, it played such a critical role in how young India thought, and continues to do so.  Science explains it as the ability of caffeine to block the effect of a neurotransmitter in the brain called Adenosine, a bullish hormone that causes drowsiness throughout the day, along with the release of dopamine and glutamate that activates the rewarding part of the brain. Together they create what we call the “happy drink experience.” What adds to the experience is the magic of phenols found in the coffee that showcases itself not only in its bitterness but also in its fruity, smoky, earthy aromas, and two essential components, Furfurylthiol and Butanedione. While the former, says master roaster and founder Maverick & Farmer, Ashish D’abreo, “lends coffee its roasty aroma, the latter gives it the caramel notes. Together they form what we today identify and associate as “coffee smell.” Thus, brewing a cup that is enticing and engaging.

Coffee that!

Not just baristas, chefs too seem to be smitten by the bold and beautiful flavours of coffee — especially those grown across India. Here’s their ode to the Baba Budan legacy.

Brioche Jam Butter Toast
By Sandeep Sadanandan
“An ode to the classic jam-butter toast of the Indian Coffee Houses, this version uses the fruity-spicy notes of Coorg coffee cold brew to give the good ‘old favourite that heady, rummy kind of palate play.”

Matunga Coffee Cake
By Chef Irfan Pabaney
“When it comes to bold pairings, few have that magical workings of coffee and chocolate. That is what the Matunga Coffee Cake is all about as it uses both the instant coffee and one with the freshly ground beans in it. Thus, giving one the full range of the coffee flavour profile and aroma, and makes for an endearing tribute to the coffee spaces in Mumbai.”

Coffee-rubbed Pork Riblets
By Chef Vikas Seth
“While coffee is known for its aroma and is a rich, slightly indulging bitter brew, it is an equally fascinating culinary ingredient when it comes to cooking. Take the pork riblets for instance, where the ground beans in the marination work not only as this aromatic tenderiser but also cranks up the umami flavour thus, yielding a brilliant mouth feel.”

Filter Coffee Baked Anglaise
By Chef Gaurav Gidwani
“The dish may be an ode to the memory of the simple treat of filter coffee and jeera biscuit that most of us grew up savouring but for a chef, it is a layer-by-layer wonderment of how bitter notes work to bring forth a delicious treat. This is served with salted caramel air and namkeen jeera praline.”

Coffee & Cherry
By Chef Anurag Sengupta
“The robust earthy smell of the ground Coorg filter coffee crémeux paired with the sweet and sour Morello cherries elevate the sensory impulses for an unforgettable experience. This bite-sized treat is an ode to the nutty, aroma of filter coffee that is enhanced by the warmth and sweetness of the whipped cardamom namelaka.”

(The author is a seasoned food columnist and curator of experiential dining experiences, pop-ups, and retreats for chefs.)