ON A COFFEE CRUISE

Today, on International Coffee Day, we take a look at the journey and evolution of the bean that created a stir

For most of us, our day does not fficially begin nless our taste uds are soaked that first sip of orning coffee. ut little does one now that coffee is nown to have iginated in Ethiopia and udan, and the earliest credible evidence of coffee as the modern beverage appears in modern-day Yemen in southern Arabia in the middle of the 15th century. Fast forward to the 21st century and one sees how much the beverage has changed, in terms of flavour, appearance and process of making or brewing.

“Coffee has been an everchanging beverage. Over the years, from instant coffee to speciality coffee, the trends have changed, the serving styles have improvised, and experiential, health-centric, shareable Insta-worthy coffees are the next best thing. Speciality coffees, single origin, single estate coffees have now become a new normal,” says Gaurav Narang, founder and director, Coffee Culture.

IT’S ALL IN THE MACHINE

The machines that used to brew coffee too have changed over time. Initially, the beans were plain roasted and ground to a fine powder. Later, machines were devised to brew coffee. In South India, the filter, used to brew coffee, dates back to the 17th century. Dinesh Sathiyanathan, director of food and beverage, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, shares some insight, he says, “Our traditional South Indian coffee filter is designed to produce infusion through the percolation method with gravity, and although our blend is unique, this style of production was prevalent in many countries. Then, with the invention of automatic pressure infusion systems, coffee could be produced with more consistent quality.”

The newer machines are calibrated and built to enhance the experience of drinking coffee, by controlling various elements that are required to make a rich, strong brew. “Coffee machine technology has progressed as the market for high-quality coffee has grown as well. With new machines such as the Mirage, one can, not only calibrate the length of the coffee pull and temperature of the liquid, but also adjust the ‘pressure-profile’ of the pull,” share Samir Gadhok and Avani Raheja, founders of Provenance.

Sharing more insight as to how even the older coffee machines are still preferred, Rizwan Amlani, CEO and cofounder, Dope Coffee Roasters, feels, “every brewing device has survived because of how it extracted the flavours from the grounds that were put into it”. He explains, “They affect the final brew in so many different ways. Body, aroma, acidity, clarity of flavour — each one does something different and as long as there are people on the hunt for interesting coffee, innovation will never stop. This crazy spectrum of diversity is what makes coffee amazing.”

THE NEW AGE COFFEE

Along with the evolution of the machines that have brewed coffee over the years, coffee too, has gone through many drastic changes. With different types of coffees – cappuccino, latte, mocha and espresso being the basic ones, they are now even available in flavoured forms. And, with the advent of the generation of social media, our coffees need to look as good as they taste, sometimes even better. “Siphon, nitro brew, cold brew, herbal lattes, matchas are the newest trends, which connect with millennials,” adds Gaurav.

COFFEE, NOT JUST A BEVERAGE

While the primary purpose of coffee is to be served as a drink, it has many inedible avatars. It is used in food, both sweet and savoury to lend its characteristic flavour. We are familiar with the popular Italian classic, tiramisu, which is as good as coffee eaten, instead of drunk. In India, with our desi filter kaapi, we have unique innovations such as Filter Kaapi Baked Yogurt and Filter Coffee Cheese Cake among others.

Not only eatables, but coffee is also known to have qualities that benefit one’s skin as well. Tarun Sharma, co-founder and CEO of mCaffeine, a coffee-based personal care brand, says, “Coffee not only gives us an adrenaline rush but also works wonders for the skin. It’s like food for skin and hair.”

Which is true, coffee grounds do not dissolve in water, which makes them good exfoliators, scrubbing away dead skin cells. Results of a study by The Royal Society of Chemistry suggest that substances in coffee also help to promote healthy skin. Caffeic acid, an antioxidant, may boost collagen levels and reduce the premature ageing of cells. Tarun adds, “In the past three years of our journey, we realised that consumers want coffee to be a part of their bath kit. They help repair pollution-ravaged skin, giving it the muchneeded care.”