Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Kaapi & Tea

This post has been brewing in my mind for quite a while now but what with the spring fevers and spring breaks! Next to sweets, the kaapi/tea comes in my irresistible list! I try to limit one of each per day but any bonus is absolutely relished. As a kid, Amma made it more special by banning it for kids. It was an absolute triumph when Amma, vexed with our pestering, lifted the ban! Till date, the thought of hot kaapi  is my boost to the chore-some 'waking up in the morning'! 

For Appa, anything more than 1/2 tsp of sugar in the kaapi is panagam but the rest of us would enjoy the kaapi with a generous 2-3 tsps of sugar. But that made it impossible to enjoy kaapi anywhere outside of home. Especially, in the kalyana mandapams, in the plane, at Starbucks etc. Initially, it used to be embarrassing to ask for more sugar packets at the counter all the while wondering how this sugar crazy land is content with one teeny-tiny sugar packet for the giant lotta of coffee! Also, it took a long time to realise that the little too milky cafe latte is the one which is as close to our kaapi from among the big list of capuccinos & espressos in the coffee shops. 

Even though the filter kaapi wins hands down and it is worth waiting for the thick dicoction to drip & fill the filter, there is no time for these indulgences during the hurry-burry week days. As it is my dislike for microwaved milk has raised a few eye brows. Whatever the beverage, I only prefer the good old pongalo pongal stove boiled milk!

Like the English language, the other British custom left by the British and adopted by some Indian families is the afternoon Tea. With a couple of biscuits and soothing hindi songs from Vividbarathi, it was bliss. The best tea I ever had was at a roadside tea shop in Mettupalayam! Tea is good if someone makes it for you. And making tea for one person is torture! Hubby is from a kaapi and kaapi only family! After several ghajini attempts, this got him hooked onto tea so much so that these days he gets Chai Latte from Starbucks for both of us!! 

Lately the kollywood movies can be categorised into the kaapi or T type movies. Kaapi types are from big banners, big casts, big names and copied/lifted from foren films. (Originali)T types are small budgets, new faces or forgotten faces, too realistic, sad and/or gory! There are few boost/bournvita type movies but don't stay in the mind too much!

Anyway, as per the tradition of including arusuvai (of including veppam poo & mango pachidi) on the Tamil new year's day to signify the ups and downs of our life, I am thinking may be I'll start a tradition of having 1/2 cup of unsweetened kaapi and 1/2 cup of sweetened kaapi! To all my Virodhis and Friends, puththandu vaazhthukkal!!

18 comments:

Me said...

you blogged it before me...this post was brewing in my head for long time too but did not have time to scribble it...but anways will write it...

& happy new year to all A's

Me said...

so whenever guests come to your home you paal kaachi kaapi potufy aa? if yes ...then...dheivamey neenga yengayo poiteenga!

Me too said...

Me, enna aalaiye kaanumennu paarthen! Aararthukulle post yours! If our guests are lucky that I have araicha kaapi powder from India on hand, then chuda chuda, (Narasus kaapi) Thengai Srinivasan style pilter kaapi dhaan!

Parithi said...

Couldn't control my smile when I found striking similarity with my thoughts & experience. Recently my secretary brought 1 sugar sachet from Starbucks and rest she served from the pantry. When asked she admitted that she felt embarrassed to take more sugar sachet from Starbucks (I need 5 sachets for a tall latte). By the way, I almost shouted "Eureka" when I finally found out "Latte" many years back. Back in India, I used to drink expresso coffee in movie theaters during 'Interval" which misled me into trying out the bitter espresso with utter disappointment. Latte with extra “shot” & extra “hot” is what comes closer to our South Indian filter coffee.
What I look forward to during the weekends is a good coffee with newspaper, refreshing tea after breakfast and with “tiffin”. Vazhga Kuzhambi & Theineer.

ttm said...

me2, parithi:

thanks for the info about latte. waiting for my eureka moment..

Me too said...

Parithi, welcome and thanks for your comments! There was/is expresso in Indian movie theatres, huh? I remember someone suggesting us this extra 'shot' in latte too but never tried it.

ttm, better lat(t)e than never!!

ttm said...

"The best tea I ever had was at a roadside tea shop in Mettupalayam! "

-This should have come 1 yr earlier. Any landmark to this shop? How far from the station? MTP is a standard stop during vacations.

Me too said...

Oh, so sorry, ttm! The 'bestest' tea happened during a South India trip we made way back in the early 90s! For now, if you pass by again this side, ensoy the kaapi/chai at Krishna Vilas in Global Mall. I'll await my Eureka moment during my next India trip!

preethi said...

Hi Aparna..i was blog hopping wen i landed here...u've got a nice blog.

Me too said...

preethi, welcome and thanks for your comments!

Nagarajan said...

Happened to read this blog by accident...talking of filter coffee, believe me there are not many hotels in Tamil Nadu where these filter coffees are available. I hear even the Kumbakonam 'degree' coffee has disappeared. Once in Tirunelveli we tried, tried and tried and finally settle for a bru coffee. I had a similar experience in Coimbatore...but not with filter coffee. I was frantically searching for tasty hot bhajjis, of course on a Sunday. It was simply not available, but these shops were selling north Indian and Chinese items. Yes, I could manage tasty bhajjis near my sister's place in Vadavalli, Coimbatore.

If you have time please visit my site www.indianotebook.com.

Me too said...

Nagarajan, welcome and thanks for your comments. Yes, there are more chaat shops than bajji/bakoda shops now in TN!

ttm said...

me2,
did you finally visit that dunwoody sweet tomatoes? :)

Me too said...

ttm, oh-yeah! Quite(depening on the menu) a regular too because of the club-veg coupons!

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