In the beginning, it was just hot water from the thermos, and boring brown granules in a jar... stirred together with maybe a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten the bitter-sour concoction and a dash of evaporated milk. It was something i gulped down without tasting it... as a matter of fact, it was unpleasant. But it was the drink of the grown ups. A fragrant aroma rose from the cup, and that was the only thing that was going for that cup. I thought i was not going to have coffee ever again. That was when I was 16.
Having this hot drink was not about pleasure then. It was about getting my body to stay up late, way after bed time so i can finish coding my thesis. Now they came from little packets called 3-in-1. a single measure of freeze-dried instant coffee, non-dairy creamer, and sugar. And maybe i got used to it, or maybe i didn't know better, the 3-in-1 was not as bad. In fact, I had preferred GREAT TASTE than NESCAFE. On the 3rd year of college, and coffee was more for survival, rather than for enjoyment.
Fast forward to the days when I am a yuppie. Working in SMPC at 5am in the morning. Yes, my call time was at five-freaking am. Definitely need them coffee. I drank them in jugs... 3-5 times a day. It was impossible. And it was bad for me. I eventually collapsed and the doctor said to stop. After all it was not about the taste - it was about the caffeine fix that eventually didn't have any effect anyway. So quit I did.
At the same time, the social element came to play - Starbucks they called it. Oh you'd have a latte, or a macchiato, in this posh while paper cup with that undeniable green trademark. Starbucks was the coffee for the snobbish. At least in Manila it was. My then boyfriend had better things in mind other than Starbucks. He just came from Italy and he had for me a gift -- a little metal pot that was suppose to make coffee. It was called a moka. Together with it came a 250g pack of coffee grounds, also from Italy and the brand was Kimbo.
And that's how it all began. That's when my coffee turned out to be my black liquid heaven. It didn't stop there. For the next five years, we kept discovering coffee. We moved to Singapore, and we bought our first espresso machine: a deLonghi. Simple, yet makes amazing cappuccinos and espressos.
I enjoyed coffee so much, it became an adventure. Buying different beans, mixing my own... I had to try the most expensive coffee in the world - that being, I thought until then was the Blue Mountain from UCC. As well as the civet cat coffee. They were all a matter of experience now. Even the very exotic hainanese style coffee that singapore is so popular for. From a deep dark roast with strong acidity, the the mellow medium, and light roasted coffees that leave a sweet after taste... chocolate, caramel, fruits... they do all come out. But most important of all is the culmination of all of the coffee's flavors.
And even when everything has changed, I've found new appreciation for Starbucks (when you are surrounded by coffee shops that sell you drip coffee, or instant coffee, thank God for Starbucks). After 3 years, and after a broken relationship, after my moka pot and my delonghi, and even my jura subito (it decided that it has served me well and that its day had come), my own liquid heaven still remains... of which i partake of every morning.
What would it be today? A Lavazza qualita oro or a qualita rossa? A Guatamala Antigua from Coffee Bean? Or a Yakun Kaya Toast Kopi? Good coffee is good coffee... and I thank God for that! And although this blog may sound confused, my next entry will be more focused... whether I talk about my favorite coffee or my first blighted experience of the espresso shot... it's gonna be fun. Now, go and find your own liquid heaven.
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