I never drank coffee growing up in India. My introduction to coffee and beans was in Toledo, Ohio.
I can conclude that there is nothing like black coffee dripping slowly from the brewer – freshly ground beans, fed directly into the filter, adding cream, and milk to taste… I learned to make out the type of roast, the different beans, and the flavor.
The brewed coffee in America allows you to experience the different tastes of coffee from all over the world – Sumatra, Ethiopian, Guatemalan, Kenya AA, etc.
Columbian coffee is the most common beans – every truck stop to gas station brews this.
The Blue Mountain coffee from Jamaica is the rarest and perhaps the most expensive one. I remember smuggling a suitcase full of this coffee during my last trip to Kingston. Starbucks sells this for $70 a pound.
Coming to Madras coffee or Kumbakonam Degree coffee – the emphasis on this filter coffee is consistency – the bean, the milk, and the strength should remain the same to qualify as the best coffee. This coffee is sold all over the Southern highways of India and is really good!
Now that I visit India more often, I have learned to appreciate the Degree coffee. The genesis of filter coffee is the decoction that comes through a two-part filter type device. The South Indian filter coffee is a marriage between the American brewed coffee and the French press coffee. Bangalore and Chennai are the best.
American brewed coffee offers you the chance to enjoy different types of flavors and strength. It is like red wine – different regions and different grapes provide a variety of tastes. So the brewed coffee has an edge over the South Indian filter coffee in my opinion.
Other parts of India are coffee hell much like most of Europe, except France. The darkly roasted Espresso is the Darth Vader for fans of finely brewed coffee!
Two other methods of coffee – the Italian and Middle Eastern variety namely the Espresso and Cappuccino. And finally – the French Press Coffee!
Coffee in America is a cultural obsession!
The Cappuccino and Latte along with Starbucks are the villains of the American coffee culture. By the roast, they kill the beans.
The brewed coffee culture is alive and well in the West – Seattle, California, Arizona. The rest of America has been Starbucksed!
Here on the East Coast, Peet’s comes to the rescue of coffee lovers in Massachusetts.
Au Bon Pain also does some flavors of coffee and has a variety of brews in bigger stores.
Although they are not connoisseurs of coffee, I have been addicted to the Dunkin version of coffee after moving to Boston. Every time I return from an overseas trip, I get to a Dunkin. The Dunkin mix of coffee with milk and the right amount of sugar can be perfect.
The coffee they brew is different from the coffee beans they sell. If you buy the beans from Dunkin you may be disappointed by the different tastes.
If you want to enjoy a good cup of coffee then Keurig is your best friend. Single-serve, fresh brewing!
Here are my two favorite authentic filter coffee recipes for a fresh cup of joy:
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