South Indians are coffee lovers. Baba Budan Giri, a hill in Chikmanglur, Karnataka, stands testimony to the saint Baba Budan who came centuries ago from Arabia. As per tradition, he brought with him coffee seeds and soon had the whole of South India converted- into a bunch of coffee or rather "kaapi" (as they choose to call the beverage) lovers.
Die-hard coffee fans go to the extent of shamelessly dragging even the Musical Saint Tyagaraja into their fold. They claim that there is a reason why he composed the song "inta saukhya manine cheppa jaala" (which in Telugu means "I cannot describe in words this pleasure") specifically in "kaapi" raaga. Tyagaraja may have wanted to convey the elation that he feels while chanting "Rama nama". However, as per these new age critics, he actually left a hidden message through his choice of raaga! He wanted to equate the bliss of chanting "rama nama" to something terrestrial- something which you and I would understand. Hence he composed it kaapi raga and in one masterly stroke ensured that people of his generation would take to "rama nama" chanting! Tyagaraja may very well have filed a defamation suit if he heard this.... but you can't silence a coffee fanatic that easily.
Little wonder that when he is the US, his eyes light up at the sight of Starbucks! "One short meesto please"- is the cryptic magic phrase that you must utter.. loud and clear at the store....to get hold of a concoction closest to filter coffee back home. "One short meesto" is a little like parseltongue... (For the uninitiated, Harry Potter fans talk about a secret language which wizards use to talk to snakes- it's called parseltongue)....parseltongue which only you and the Starbucks attendant follow. It works like magic. I've never understood this one- if you look at the display at Starbucks, the size "short" is never mentioned. You only have sizes called "grande", "vente" and "tall". As far as coffee varieties go, you have all sorts of choices like "frappucino", "caffe latte" "cafe au lait" etc. but never, never something called "meesto". But "one short meesto" is like your proverbial railway platform "nine and three-fourths"... to borrow one more analogy from Harry Potter- it cannot be seen, but it exists!
Probably, all new hires at Starbucks are put through some elaborate training- where they learn the tricks of the trade and alongside, a brand new jargon as well.
The next time you are at Starbucks in the US you needn't mumble at all. (to be read in a South Indian accent)..."I want coffee, but not black coffee. I want coffee with milk... not with too much of decoction, but little bit. The rest of the cup... you fill it with milk. No no!... not milk from a creamer! It will make the coffee lukewarm I say. It will destroy the coffee! You heat up the milk and pour it into the decoction.....not in one shot, but little by little! Sugar?? Yes, yes, preferably 2 spoons, though my wife says that I should cut down on sugar these days. What is this? I have to tell you how to make filter coffee? You are running this big Starbucks shop and charging 400 rupees for one coffee.. and you don't know!? You come to Kumbakonam I say...nice, brisk, Kumbakonam "degree" coffee you can get... with chicory added...and that too.... at one-fortieth of this price!!".... he trails away though we're sure the Starbucks attendant has moved on and our candidate is actually talking to himself!!
None of these. Just walk into Starbucks with elan... twirl your tongue to get the American accent right....and enunciate the magic words...one more time...loud and clear... "One short meesto please and...... yes, a banana-walnut cake to go with it!"
Die-hard coffee fans go to the extent of shamelessly dragging even the Musical Saint Tyagaraja into their fold. They claim that there is a reason why he composed the song "inta saukhya manine cheppa jaala" (which in Telugu means "I cannot describe in words this pleasure") specifically in "kaapi" raaga. Tyagaraja may have wanted to convey the elation that he feels while chanting "Rama nama". However, as per these new age critics, he actually left a hidden message through his choice of raaga! He wanted to equate the bliss of chanting "rama nama" to something terrestrial- something which you and I would understand. Hence he composed it kaapi raga and in one masterly stroke ensured that people of his generation would take to "rama nama" chanting! Tyagaraja may very well have filed a defamation suit if he heard this.... but you can't silence a coffee fanatic that easily.
Little wonder that when he is the US, his eyes light up at the sight of Starbucks! "One short meesto please"- is the cryptic magic phrase that you must utter.. loud and clear at the store....to get hold of a concoction closest to filter coffee back home. "One short meesto" is a little like parseltongue... (For the uninitiated, Harry Potter fans talk about a secret language which wizards use to talk to snakes- it's called parseltongue)....parseltongue which only you and the Starbucks attendant follow. It works like magic. I've never understood this one- if you look at the display at Starbucks, the size "short" is never mentioned. You only have sizes called "grande", "vente" and "tall". As far as coffee varieties go, you have all sorts of choices like "frappucino", "caffe latte" "cafe au lait" etc. but never, never something called "meesto". But "one short meesto" is like your proverbial railway platform "nine and three-fourths"... to borrow one more analogy from Harry Potter- it cannot be seen, but it exists!
Probably, all new hires at Starbucks are put through some elaborate training- where they learn the tricks of the trade and alongside, a brand new jargon as well.
The next time you are at Starbucks in the US you needn't mumble at all. (to be read in a South Indian accent)..."I want coffee, but not black coffee. I want coffee with milk... not with too much of decoction, but little bit. The rest of the cup... you fill it with milk. No no!... not milk from a creamer! It will make the coffee lukewarm I say. It will destroy the coffee! You heat up the milk and pour it into the decoction.....not in one shot, but little by little! Sugar?? Yes, yes, preferably 2 spoons, though my wife says that I should cut down on sugar these days. What is this? I have to tell you how to make filter coffee? You are running this big Starbucks shop and charging 400 rupees for one coffee.. and you don't know!? You come to Kumbakonam I say...nice, brisk, Kumbakonam "degree" coffee you can get... with chicory added...and that too.... at one-fortieth of this price!!".... he trails away though we're sure the Starbucks attendant has moved on and our candidate is actually talking to himself!!
None of these. Just walk into Starbucks with elan... twirl your tongue to get the American accent right....and enunciate the magic words...one more time...loud and clear... "One short meesto please and...... yes, a banana-walnut cake to go with it!"
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