A cup of coffee!

Ordering a cup of coffee in the US is not easy. They ask too many questions. First, we have to choose the cup-size- between "tall", "grande" and "vente", words completely unfamiliar to us. If we clear this round, we are asked for the type of milk. We have to select from "full", "half-n-half" and "skim". Next, the coffee-bean type has to be spelt out. And then, the preparation- either "cafe-au-lait", "espresso" or "mocha"! The accent is thick and undecipherable as we fumble over the questions. We wonder if we have ordered a cup of coffee or facing the immigration officials! Finally, they ask for our name and now, it is their turn to stumble over our polysyllabic name. They cannot fit the name on the sides of the cup and their writing comes a full circle! There is an edginess to this entire episode as we wait for our name to be called out and get our cup of coffee. How much we long for the familiar environs back home and to relish a cup of steaming coffee! 

 We do not know when the romance with coffee began in the Southern states of India. But we have taken to coffee, as a fish to water! A cup of coffee is a must to kick start the body-machine each morning. With every sip, we can feel the blood coursing through the veins, the drowsiness of sleep drop away and only now, we are alert and awake to a good morning! The accessories are as important as the beverage. A Styrofoam cup or even porcelain crockery just won't do. To be savored, coffee has to be served in a pint-sized shiny, stainless-steel tumbler with its matching saucer. The tinkling sound of the vessel, the aroma of the fresh brew and its instant relish ensure we are in seventh-heaven! 

 It is an experience to watch the art of coffee-making: be it in a wayside shack or your favorite restaurant. Milk is set on a low boil on one stove. We see his hands work in a flourish as he stirs the milk till it has a nice, creamy consistency. On the other side is the beaker with the coffee decoction- deep-brown, viscous and with the perfect blend of coffee and chicory. The magician now gets into the act- he pulls out the stainless steel tumbler, adds a spoonful of sugar, a dash of decoction and tops the tumbler with frothy milk till it swells over the rim! And then, in an act defying gravity, the concoction is mixed- with that deft horizontal flick of the beverage from the tumbler to be caught by the saucer and back again. A couple of mesmerizing iterations and the magician's act is complete. There is a twinkle in his eye as he hands over the coffee. No questions asked. It is perfect, the way it is! 

 If coffee in a restaurant has a particular appeal, there is a different feel to drinking coffee on a long train journey. The moment the train comes to a halt, the station comes alive with peddlers serving your favorite brew. They advertise the beverage in their distinctive ways. Some intone "coffee-coffee-coffee" in a low, rhythmic baritone and others scream their throats off with high-pitched shrieks of coffee-coffee! For once, you give up the fixation with stainless steel tumblers and settle for the coffee in a paper-cup. The train ambles its way out of the station. As you sit by the window and peer out, the countryside, the distant hills and the hot cup of coffee all intermingle to make it a delightful experience.

The term "tiffin" has its special meaning in the Southern states of India. It refers to that snack at 4 o'clock in the evening. After a relaxed afternoon siesta, the sun at a manageable blaze, you head out to the nearby restaurant and settle down at the table. The waiter comes by with a ready smile. "What is special for tiffin today?" you ask him. "Saar! Bonda, Masaal-vadai, Bombay Halwa, Kesari". "Perfect! Get me a plate of Bonda and Kesari. And yes, one cup of degree coffee!"