One has been noticing that coffee drinking is getting more popular with people these days. It is no longer the exception. It is now the norm. “Chai” drinkers like me may not go in for much coffee but many people show a preference for coffee over tea . With so many branded coffee shops in every city, coffee drinking has picked up over the last ten years or so.
Earlier, not many restaurants and cafes served good coffee and there was no variety in the beverage. The kind of coffee usually available made one feel that it was better to go home and make oneself a good, proper cup of coffee. It was safer to order chai at a restaurant. Making good tea is not so difficult for us as making good coffee. In northern India, one sees that most families grow up on tea rather than coffee.Tea is the comfort zone! When a visitor arrives, it is tea or a cold beverage we offer rather than giving him or her the option of coffee. Or if we do give the option, it is usually the last one.
There was a time, I heard from my grandmother, that people used to look upon coffee drinking as a negative trait in a person! If there was talk of marriage going on between two families, sometimes the girl’s family inquired from people whether the boy was in the habit of drinking coffee!
However, things have a come a long way rom such times. Coffee has been declared good for health and has acquired a special status as part of hospitality etiquette. Coffee is considered more stylish than the good old tea and is associated with exclusivity. The new generation is hooked to it. Whether the coffee is hot or cold it is “cool” to have coffee. The coffee shops have turned the brew into a new culture and a lot does sometimes happen over a cup of coffee these days. Instead of calling at each other’s homes, friends and colleagues meet at these coffee joints and share some moments of leisure and respite. Work related discussions also become more cheerful at such places. For some time, I resisted this trend as I was always a tea addict.Then I discovered that good tea was also served at these coffee cafes. I always had the option of having tea. Now I go in for coffee too at times.
Something about these places gives one the chance to get away, both physically and mentally, from the routine.The calmness and the coffee work together to settle the mind and make it a meditative experience in a way. Focus increases and clarity too. It is a space that enhances creative thinking. How much the coffee contributes to this one cannot really say. But it is definitely part of the package.
There are several exotic varieties of coffee available but so far, I have not tried many. Traditional brews have always been my choice. All of us have seen how the coffee shops have started a new culture of camaraderie and fun, of intellectual discussions and creative interaction. long ago, the coffee house culture in Delhi and some other cities was quite a hit. However, the common man was not so much a part of that. It was supposedly only for the “intellectuals”, “philosophers” and perhaps, journalists and artistes. It was , somehow, associated with them. Fun-loving youngsters were never a part of that coffee house culture. Only “serious” students used to visit them for “serious” discussions. I am glad the new coffee café culture is different from that. It is inclusive and all encompassing. It is linked to day-to-day living and is part of our routine work. Waiting for a friend or colleague at these cafes is not tiresome as the atmosphere is bright and engaging. It is the ambience of these cafes that has made them the favourite hang-outs of people in these times. Some relaxation is needed, somewhere there has to be an opportunity to quieten the mind and introspect about life, about oneself. Coffee is the answer to many questions at times. All that goes with that cup of coffee is a kind of much-needed therapy in this rushed life we are leading. So, while I still remain a loyal tea drinker, I have realised that coffee days are here to stay. And I welcome that.