The art of making South Indian filter coffee
The art of making South Indian filter coffee
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There is something special about the ubiquitous south Indian filter coffee that die-hard fans swear by. We find out what the daily dose of caffeine means for them.
Call it coffee, espresso, kaapi or anything you want but every south Indian would wish to wake up to these sinful, little cups of coffee served the traditional way. Trichy has had a long standing affair with this traditional cup of south Indian filter coffee and is home to some of the best coffee spots.
Unlike the ones that we see in the movies, with beautifully decorated posh interiors, these stalls have been owned for generations and still remain quaint and crowded and serves coffee the 'old school' way. Starting as early as five in the morning some areas in the city are full with customers who regularly drop in after morning walks, like Ravindran Sankaran, a railway employee who has his coffee and can never skip the habit. "It is instilled in me to get my morning dose of caffeine while I get hit by the morning news here.
The filter coffee is so much different if taste, smell than the instant ones and I never actually like the instant powders. We have la little club of sorts and get chatting; it is a great way to start your day with such gusto."
Couches, television sets, air-conditioned rooms and well-designed interiors have not claimed their space in the city even with the case of youngsters. The Aathikudi Coffee Club has been serving their cup of coffee since 1916 and it is now run by the fourth generational owners. Once the favourite hangout spot for many yesteryear celebrities like Shivaji Ganesan, MR Radha, Gemini Ganesan it still remains the same old-fashioned shop filled with little wooden tables and stools. Youngsters who come here sip up this divine drink and have a chat at the "famous round table" which was once shared by stalwarts in the Tamil cinema industry. Chandrashekharan Sriram, who owns a shop quite close to NIT, explains that students do enjoy a cup anytime. "They do not mind that there are no spaces to stand as long as the coffee is good. They do have a good time and I have students who come here regularly, I try and make the shop different as I sell other stuff to keep them interested."
To people who adore the city they never complain about the absence of coffee houses and cafe spots like Sriram Krishnamoorthy, a businessman who was brought up in the city, says, "The strong scent of coffee served in the small traditional 'davaras' transports you to heaven with just one sip. With a view like the Srirangam Rajagopuram in front of you and the flavorful morning coffees nothing can beat the experience at least to people like me who have been born in the city. So we Trichiites never complain about the lack of hangout spots for coffee as long as we have the concoction right."
If you are a true blue coffee lover get sipping on this sinful cup of soul stirring coffee the south Indian way!
The filter kaapi
Coffee was introduced by Baba Budan to south India in the 17th century and became very popular under the British Rule.
The south Indian filter coffee is made from dark and roasted coffee beans which is heavier and more pure (70-80%) with chicory (20-30%), and is quite popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The most commonly used coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta grown in the hills of Nilgiris District, Yercaud and Kodaikanal; Coorg, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan in Karnataka, and the Malabar region in Kerala.
Call it coffee, espresso, kaapi or anything you want but every south Indian would wish to wake up to these sinful, little cups of coffee served the traditional way. Trichy has had a long standing affair with this traditional cup of south Indian filter coffee and is home to some of the best coffee spots.
Unlike the ones that we see in the movies, with beautifully decorated posh interiors, these stalls have been owned for generations and still remain quaint and crowded and serves coffee the 'old school' way. Starting as early as five in the morning some areas in the city are full with customers who regularly drop in after morning walks, like Ravindran Sankaran, a railway employee who has his coffee and can never skip the habit. "It is instilled in me to get my morning dose of caffeine while I get hit by the morning news here.
The filter coffee is so much different if taste, smell than the instant ones and I never actually like the instant powders. We have la little club of sorts and get chatting; it is a great way to start your day with such gusto."
Couches, television sets, air-conditioned rooms and well-designed interiors have not claimed their space in the city even with the case of youngsters. The Aathikudi Coffee Club has been serving their cup of coffee since 1916 and it is now run by the fourth generational owners. Once the favourite hangout spot for many yesteryear celebrities like Shivaji Ganesan, MR Radha, Gemini Ganesan it still remains the same old-fashioned shop filled with little wooden tables and stools. Youngsters who come here sip up this divine drink and have a chat at the "famous round table" which was once shared by stalwarts in the Tamil cinema industry. Chandrashekharan Sriram, who owns a shop quite close to NIT, explains that students do enjoy a cup anytime. "They do not mind that there are no spaces to stand as long as the coffee is good. They do have a good time and I have students who come here regularly, I try and make the shop different as I sell other stuff to keep them interested."
To people who adore the city they never complain about the absence of coffee houses and cafe spots like Sriram Krishnamoorthy, a businessman who was brought up in the city, says, "The strong scent of coffee served in the small traditional 'davaras' transports you to heaven with just one sip. With a view like the Srirangam Rajagopuram in front of you and the flavorful morning coffees nothing can beat the experience at least to people like me who have been born in the city. So we Trichiites never complain about the lack of hangout spots for coffee as long as we have the concoction right."
If you are a true blue coffee lover get sipping on this sinful cup of soul stirring coffee the south Indian way!
The filter kaapi
Coffee was introduced by Baba Budan to south India in the 17th century and became very popular under the British Rule.
The south Indian filter coffee is made from dark and roasted coffee beans which is heavier and more pure (70-80%) with chicory (20-30%), and is quite popular in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The most commonly used coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta grown in the hills of Nilgiris District, Yercaud and Kodaikanal; Coorg, Chikkamagaluru and Hassan in Karnataka, and the Malabar region in Kerala.
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