Coffee, Coffee

I had just came back from the Philippines and this is my first cuppa home.

A part of me really wanted to share my experience going home to a country who had incorporated coffee in their cultures. In the North, where the land of the Ilocanos, Ibanags, Itawes and Malaueg, coffee is always served no matter how hot or cold the weather is. In fact, they even have their own tiny cup( similar to espresso cups by the Ilalians- correct me if I'm wrong!) to drink this precious drink. It is part of their hospitality culture.

It really shocked me that in my holiday, I had been constantly been looking for coffee. All I got in a province where coffee is abundantly been planted was a sweet, very diluted versions. I tried Starbucks at home- too sweet. I ordered the double espresso- did not work on me. Local coffee shop, same drama. In fact, I got a lot of funny looks from the barista when I asked them things like, where did the coffee beans came from, how old is it. Things that most of the baristas back home would always be happy to answer.

And then, we visited our relatives in Rizal Cagayan. That's when I got the chocolatey, strong type of drink. The coffee of my dreams! I did ask them for a take away; they gladly obliged.

Coffee is my preferred drink wherever I go. In the morning, drinking this helps me stay awake and alert. I usually incorporate my morning rituals around this. I would often make my drink, pray while I wait for it to reach the right temperature. If I am being busy and have no time to eat, I would often drink this. Coffee suppresses the appetite- I am not recommending this as a dietary aid. By the time I finish cooking my food, its effect would wear off.

My sister drinks coffee a lot too. Call it stereotype but working in the health care system- where you do a lot of day/ night shifts, this helps regulate your sleep/ wake cycle as well. Yes. There are those moments when I have to drink a huge amount of coffee to be awake and alert at night. Same when I have to do day shifts after series of night shifts.

For me, this drink can never be boring, you can drink it iced or hot. You can mix a lot of flavours on it from vanilla, hazelnut to more exotic ones like chili or nutmeg. Young and old alike would almost always want to drink coffee. I love inviting people for a cuppa as it brings everyone together.

It is very sad that most people back home thinks that drinking coffee is a social status. Is it probably because its rare or expensive? I say, you do not need to break your bank account in order to get a decent cup of coffee back home. My relatives in Rizal do not even have a coffee maker. They use their cooking pots to boil and make coffee.

Here at home, we even walk or drive out of our way to get the best cuppa and, they're not from big coffee shops. Often, this comes from small scale business with the best baristas running them!