Confessions of a coffee lover

My relationship with coffee goes back to my childhood. Growing up in an Indian household, the traditional Indian filter coffee is part of our culture and it was a Sunday tradition in my house. Little did I know that coffee would be something I find my day incomplete without as an adult.

Any coffee lovers out there will surely understand the feeling you get after you’ve had your first cup of coffee. Whether you find me low-spirited or cheery, there’s always a cup of freshly brewed coffee in my hand. As all my friends know – in a 9 am lecture I’m not in the best mood until I’ve had my daily caffeine fix.

During the term, I used to visit university cafés at least 3 times a day. Eventually, by the end of the term, the barista knew not just my name but also my order off by heart (a regular oat mixed mocha if you’re wondering.) I not only miss my regular trips to the café for the coffee, but I also miss the conversations with the baristas.

I wake up every morning to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee

I can’t wait to be back in the UK. I miss my Sunday traditions that often revolved around trying to find a good cup of coffee. My love for coffee led me to explore Leamington Spa and its myriad of coffee shops.

Every Sunday you would always find me sitting in a cosy corner overlooking the street, in a café I had discovered and in the company of some good music or a book. I savour those precious times and look forward to them each week as a way of helping me to unwind. I aim to visit all of the cafes in Leamington when we go back next year.

Now that I’m back home in India, I wake up every morning to the aroma of the freshly brewed coffee that my dad makes. Little positive moments like this give me the strength to survive these uncertain times with a smile.

It’s something that is helping me through these difficult times

Thinking of the lockdown, and the feeling that the days have never passed this slowly, I’m always looking for a way to occupy myself. With all of the social media challenges and trends that have been going around lately, one of them is the dalgona coffee trend.

Owing to the fact that it takes a lot of time to make if you decide to do it by hand, it has gained popularity with all the free time we now have. As a South Korean treat, it involves whipping up coffee granules and water and then adding the mixture to milk. After trying it, I have to say that I wouldn’t want to have it again, but that’s probably because I’m very particular about how my coffee should be, and it is just a personal opinion. Having said that, it looked great to take a photo of.

My love for coffee is an essential part of my life and it’s something that is helping me through these difficult times. I would love to share a recipe for coffee lovers like me to try and make at home.

For anyone daring enough to give this recipe a try, I’ve would recommend this incredible spicy mocha. With a little bit of chilli and salt, it’s different to what many of us might ordinarily drink but even for anyone whose go-to drink is not coffee – you should give it a try.

Spicy Hot Chocolate Mocha

This serves 2

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

Place all ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, constantly whisking, for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

Pour into two coffee cups and top with whipped cream, marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, chocolate syrup and caramel.

Serve and enjoy!