I have — on many occasions — found myself staring at a screen, sluggishly typing words onto an empty Google Doc as my eyes begin to droop. On nights like these, I usually make myself a cup of Nescafé instant coffee to keep me fueled.
On one of these typical late nights, when I was working through my precalculus note packet, my worst nightmare came true — I ran out of my beloved Nescafé instant coffee. With no other choice, I reluctantly pulled out my mom’s tin of coffee powder and her traditional stainless steel coffee filter.
When I first started boiling the milk, I found the process to be tedious and regretted not reminding my parents to buy instant coffee that week. However, as I continued to assemble my drink, a peculiar feeling of calmness washed over me.
Away from my phone and various digital screens, my late-night anxiety seemed to fade away. As I poured the now-finished coffee into my steel cup, I suddenly realized: This small ritual and its accompanying feelings were not unique to me.
Just as I had poured my own coffee that night, my parents and their parents before them had done the same. This intergenerational connection gave me a sense of comfort — even through all our differences and generational gaps, my family remains rooted in the same foundations.
Throughout history, food has been intricately connected with culture, with recipes being passed down through generations. As it turns out filter coffee is no different. When it was first introduced to India in the 17th century, it was blended with chicory by the British Empire to create a cheaper version of English coffee, a process that ended up contributing to its signature taste.
Ever since then, filter coffee has been a staple drink in South India. Served as a welcoming drink to household guests, it’s consumed by people across socio-economic boundaries. Office workers crowd around street stands during lunch, housewives enjoy a cup in between chores and raising kids and high school students pause on the way home from the bus stop after a long day of studying to enjoy a steaming hot cup.
Putting aside the rich history it represents, once I tasted the golden-brown nectar, I realized that there was a reason it has stayed popular over the years.
Typically, when I make my instant coffee, I have to gulp it down with three tablespoons of sugar to avoid the bitter aftertaste. However, my newly discovered drink was unlike any coffee I had ever tasted before. While still slightly bitter, it had a much richer flavor — and it didn’t make me want to vomit.
Needless to say, from that day forward, I made the switch to the more traditional version and have never looked back. Now, I make coffee for my parents and family, giving me an opportunity to connect with them in a new way.
Filter Coffee Recipe:
Step One: Take four tablespoons of coffee powder – the brand I prefer is Eswaran – and put it in the top compartment of your coffee filter, even it out and cover it with the pressing disc.
Step Two: Boil one cup of water and pour it on top of the coffee powder and pressing disc. Then wait for 30 minutes for the water to filter through the coffee powder and into the bottom compartment of the filter.
Step Three: Take the decoction at the bottom of the coffee filter and pour it into a glass with boiling milk.
Step four: Add sugar to taste and stir.
