India (Asia)

I wanted to talk about India this month, since it’s Ramadan in the Muslim world and coffee was considered early in it’s history as the “wine of Islam.” In addition it was a Muslim monk, returning home to India, from the Hajj, that brought this tradition of coffee to India. Upon leaving Saudi Arabia, Baba Budan stopped in Yemen and discovered this amazing drink known as coffee. Depending on how you see it, he took 7 coffee cherries back with him to India, and from there the tradition in India began. The book I just finished reading, The Monk of Mokha, inspired this thought for me.

I was attending my first Coffee Fest in NYC, March 2019 and heard of Monsooned Malabar I was fascinated that it came from India. I never saw India anything beyond tea and great food. The company that was promoting this coffee did a great job and presentation with this bean. The production of their espresso was superb. This experience later influenced the espresso I began to make, in addition I realized how little most of us know about coffee. First Vietnam challenged that thought when I learned they were the 2nd largest coffee producer, and now India, one of the oldest producers of it.

Currently I have learned to merge this tradition of coffee with that of my Italian/Sicilian heritage. In the old country tradition of Italy, beans were obtained from Central America with a healthy mix of Robusta and Arabica making the blend, and roasted to perfection, an Italian trait I hope to live up to. This bean from India, obtained it’s name due to sea travels and moisture from the monsoons that soaked the shipments. This created a unique characteristic in the beans, which is reproduced in the bean in the modern era. Roasting the blend of a bitter, highly caffeinated Robusta bean with the Tobacco and brown sugar notes of the Malabar makes for a rugged, yet smooth espresso that anyone from the old country would be proud of. When I tested it on my wife she said “it tastes like espresso.” That was simply my goal, something classic without the fluff of modern espresso.

In close I have to nod to my Syro Malabar friends, who originally peaked my interest in India. As I spent time with them in Charlotte, N.C. I began to really embrace the southern India culture and grow deeper in my appreciation for them. The discovery of this coffee tradition, that is prevalent in south India, was the cherry on top (no pun intended) of my relationship with the people of this ancient church. They are known to have roots with the Apostle Thomas who first taught them.

I also love how I have carried on the tradition of Baba Budan, who was a traveling monk like myself, sharing the tradition of coffee. Unknowingly to myself this was a great parallel, discovered through my Uber driving days, by a customer who recommended the book I just finished. To know I am achieving my personal destiny/legend, inspired by The Alchemist is very special and brings great optimism when you feel the synchronicity of life. I no longer fight upstream, but instead I enjoy going with the flow and current of life. In Catholicism we call this uniting to God’s will, just as we pray in the Lord’s prayer. It’s where the friction of life fades away due to us aligning with what we were designed to be instead of trying to be what the world wants us to be. It’s what literally creates life on earth as it is in heaven. Ramadan Mubarak, Happy Easter Season, and continued blessings no matter where you are in life, for the Bible teaches, God/Jesus blesses us all (Matt 5:45), what we choose to do with those blessings is a different conversation. No matter what, God makes straight with crooked lines, be encouraged in these challenging times, every great story has a challenging beginning.

An image of “Our Lady of Good Health.” This is a devotion in India, which is fitting for our current challenges and this blog. I thought the picture of the boat was a nice touch considering that’s how the India bean received its name. More info on this devotion.