Coffee is so much more than a beverage.
My relationship with coffee started in college in India as merely a low-fat drink. I used to be obsessed with all things low fat and abhorred anything with sugar.
Where everyone would order their sugary drinks with dollops of whipped cream (as they should at 19), I would always order a large latte or cappuccino with skim milk and no sugar.
When I moved to New York for grad school, a good friend introduced me to Starbucks. My mind was blown!
Their Cinnamon Dolce Latte is still my favorite coffee drink.
Not to say the caffeine didn't help during exam season. From one small latte, I moved to three a day rather quickly. (The reward program used to be a lot more generous “back then”)
It was also in grad school that I fell in love with the ambience of coffee shops - the smell of freshly roasted coffee, the sound of a steam wand, and someone yelling my name (completely mispronounced).
And the people - reading, studying, working or having a quiet chat.
Anywhere I traveled spotting a Starbucks immediately felt like home but I was also always on a hunt for local coffee shops.
My foray into black coffee happened only a few years ago when my apartment building installed a Starbucks (yes 3rd time in one post) espresso machine - to my surprise I loved it, and it was also free coffee.
Cut to now, as a coffee lover, moving to Bangalore has been nothing short of perfect. This city is heaven for coffee lovers. I have lost count of the number of coffee shops I have explored just within the city! I have also been lucky to connect with some very cool people within the coffee community!
This past year has helped me to finally acknowledge my love for the crop!
From being – “I need my coffee!” to “I love my coffee!”
It's not just a beverage, it's an emotion, a craft, a hug in a cup.
Happy International Coffee Day!
PS: I am writing this post sitting in a coffee estate in Karnataka!
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