South Indian coffee takes on Americano

Filter coffee served hot and frothy in a traditional tumbler and dabara (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During a holiday to India, I jetted to namma Bengaluru (Bangalore) to regale in the most exhilarating 3 years I had spent, living independently in an unknown city. When in Karnataka, does as the Kannidiga's do.

Thanks to generosity of a dear couple friend, every morning I woke up to the refreshing smell of freshly brewed coffee. Exhausted from the last evening's merriment, I sleepwalked and placed myself at the dining table. An early riser, my friend, a thoroughbred Kannadiga, cheerily placed a steaming mug in front of me. Caring not the beverage was scalding, I greedily drank it; mid-mug I'd pace myself down to savor its rich flavor. Although I'd grudgingly controlled  my coffee consumption to one cup in two days or less on account of a homeopathy medication, the frothy sweetness of fresh South Indian coffee delectably awakening my wits was a treat I couldn't resist.

Used to a medium-dark roast of Arabica or Sumatra beans, ahat makes the South Indian Filter Coffee so unique are two things - fresh coffee from the source and Chicory. The source is Coorg, one of the most beautiful hill stations in Karnataka. Coorg produces two vanities of coffee – Coffea robusta and Coffea arabica. The freshly ground beans are mixed in a 80-20 proportion with Chicory powder. Also spelled Chicoree, this root has been adopted as a coffee substitute plenty of time. In the filter coffee version though, it adds fuller flavor.

My request for acquiring a small package of Chicory bewildered her family's coffee supplier. He'd have thought me mad to ignore the beans and press for the commonplace root. Truth be told, I've searched high and low - online and offline, in Bombay and in USA. This was the only coffee supplier who agreed to sell me Chicory without coffee. My dependable coffee supplier Philips Coffee has long stopped selling coffee with Chicory.

When I griped about this to a friend recently, he cautioned me that Chicory root is harmful for long-term consumption. The word he used was 'poisonous'. The claim seemed dubious, so I launched my own investigation.

Here are the facts about the Chicory plant

• its roots, leaves and flowers are used to make medicine
• it is used to balance the stimulant effect of coffee
• it looks and tastes something like coffee but is caffeine-free, and produces a more 'roasted' flavor than coffee does
• because it has a smooth and creamy texture, it enhances the richness of coffee 

Which makes it into a thick dark ambrosia you can savor in every sip.

Make coffee a sweeter treat

It's 3am on a Tuesday morning. The sun will not be rising for another three hours. However, I am up and about. I silently go downstairs from my loft room, avoiding the squeaking panels while ducking from the heavy oak beams which run at an eye level.

Before freshening up, I head to the kitchen and prep for a hot cup of coffee. And then, I sit down for a last revision.

This was my routine for all the Board exams - 10th, 12th and University.

Engulfed with darkness and quiet helped me concentrate. I would spend these last few hours memorizing the most important facts (I was really bad at rote learning).

Just as I would be heading out the door, mom would offer me a spoonful of sweetened curd. This is an ancient custom prevalent throughout India before setting out for some important work such as exams or interviews. Speaking Tree rationalizes that it helps you remain

cool, collected and energized when setting out to accomplish an important task.

Now scientists are endorsing that my sweet fetish has "a small side benefit." A study published in the journal HumanPsychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental showed the combination of caffeine, and glucose can improve the efficiency of brain activity.

a combination of caffeine and glucose has beneficial effects on attention (sequential reaction time tasks) and learning and on the consolidation of verbal memory, none of which were observed when the substances were consumed separately.

What I understood was this --

While I should stop getting friends to steal lumps of sugar for me from the order-desk at PVR Cinemas, dropping them into my coffee cup will make sure I remember the plot points and dialogues for tearing apart in my blog review later.

For the rest of you, it means your brain will be more efficient under the combined effect of the two substances, since it needs fewer resources to produce the same level of performance than required by those who only consume unsweetened coffee or suck on sugar cubes.