Coffee !!

Ah ! My favorite ! I simply cannot imagine starting my day without a steaming kuppa - the invigorating, fragrant aroma is really a fitting welcome to every morning ! I know people who refer to this as 'fuel' :)

My first introduction to coffee as drunk in the western hemisphere, was when I first sipped the bitter dark brew immediately on my arrival to this part of the globe. After a 21 hour flight, when every nerve in my body was screaming for the frothy , milky brew, sweet and hot, a local coffee shop dished out the almost cold, bitter, sugarless, black liquid which they proudly called "coffee". I was almost driven to tears - I missed my mom most at that single moment.

Growing up, morning coffee was an almost sacred ritual - well, I make every attempt to keep it up even today :) A cup of delicious filter coffee - a blend of the right amount of chicory and coffee beans was always handed to me , and every evening was equally aromatic !. A milkman would deliver fresh milk at about 6:30 PM, and nothing could come near the bliss of sipping coffee made out of this !

Coffee they say is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. It is prepared from the roasted seeds—commonly referred to as beans—of the coffee plant, and is usually served hot but can also be served cold. A typical 7 fluid ounce (ca. 207 mL) cup of coffee contains 80-140 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the method of preparation.

There have been multiple researches that concluded that drinking coffee is the best thing you could to yourself or another one contradicted saying it was the worst. Either way, I think it hardly matters to die-hard coffee lovers (including me !) - who cares we live one life, and what's life without COFFEE !!!

There are multiple associations and coffee societies that have been formed, places where they have discussion forums, and recommendations on the varieties of beans and other barista competitions. It is really serious stuff ! And I believe that all honest conversations are had over coffee :)

Growing up, I distinctly remember the 'chai wallas' (vendors) selling "coffee, coffee' on railway platforms, and it used to be the best part of our long train journeys that would range from 1 -2 full days from place to place :). The jingles they used to come up with to sell their coffee was really hummable and catchy :)

Latte, Mocha, Espresso, Cappucino or the Indian filter coffee - whatever that works for you, get it, look out of the window specially on a rainy day, and drink deep from it ! Enjoy it to the last drop :) !