I never really liked coffee as a kid or a young adult. Living in Mumbai chai or tea was more my thing and dad made an excellent cup. At that point, I felt there was nothing better than a cup of tea to start my day.

In the year 2006, the day after I was married. I woke up to a lovely rainy morning in Kerala. As I walked downstairs towards my mother-in-laws kitchen my senses were overtaken by the warm, deep, and rich smell of coffee. It’s aroma filled the entire house. Mama would make the coffee the previous night, let the dregs settle, and reheat it the next day with a bit of jaggery. Reluctantly I asked for a cup, as tea wasn’t on offer. After all, this was coffee land.

As I took my first sip it hit home, it wasn’t that I didn’t like coffee. I was drinking the wrong coffee all along. Though instant coffee has its place in our world if you want to discover the real flavour of coffee it always lies with the bean. So off we went the newlyweds on a day trip to Ravis a small coffee vendor on Jew street in Cochin. Home to my first cup of great chicory flavored coffee. Since then I have never looked back. 

Now coffee is part of my everyday world. Did you know Beethoven loved his coffee so much that he would count 60 beans per cup before making his brew? Unlike him, I keep it simple.

I buy roasted beans from my current favourite supplier. I grind exactly what I need, and wait patiently as it percolates in my tiny brass coffee maker.

So where does the word “coffee” come from and how was it discovered?

Coffee is a fruit. It is the pit of a red berry also known as a cherry. They are known as “beans” because of their resemblance to legumes.