Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005
Issue link: http://baristamagazine.epubxp.com/i/804825
Coff ee expedition in 2006, where Dr. Davis collected and studied wild coff ee species in the drylands of northwestern Madagascar. under me protested and refused to accept [neither] my instructions nor my time schedule for work. They were not used to timeframes; they were not used to taking instructions from a woman. They were not used to working with young women, and most importantly, they opined that I had no knowledge on coffee. Tears seemed to be the immedi- ate solution for me, but later I realized that it was the poorest of tools to tackle the situation. Fortunately, I had a chief, an elderly man, at the board, who took me under his wings and gave me sound advice. He said, "Do not be in a hurry to tackle your subordinates. First learn your sub- ject, learn to work as a team member, give them time to accept you, and do remember that, 'Knowledge is power.'" His parting words were, "tread slowly, but fi rmly." This advice helped me to overcome the very many challenges that I faced at the board. Today, when I compare Indian coffees with coffees from other parts of the world, I realize that our Indian coffees of yesteryears have undergone a sea change in quality, rising from just being fi llers, to being exotic coffees, especially from certain coffee-growing regions in India, such as Biligiris, Bababudan, Palnis, Coorg, and Chikmagalur. BMag: What specifi c types of coffees do you enjoy? And how do you like your coffee prepared? SM: My favorite coffees in the world are Ethiopian coffees, especially from Yirgacheffe. Its fl avors of jasmine, lemon twist, chocolate, and a touch of red apple, its crisp tanginess and its aftertaste, I enjoy the most. Normally, I prepare my coffee on the traditional Indian fi lter, as it is so readily available in all our homes. It only requires hot water, and after brewing on this fi lter, my cup is drunk with a lot of bubbles fl oat- ing on top of the coffee brew. This is achieved by pouring the coffee brew from a height, from one container to another, which is called the Davara. It is made of stainless steel or brass, and comprises a small bowl, inside which is placed a tiny tumbler. The tumbler holds the coffee, which is poured into the small bowl from a height. This process is then reversed, from the bowl to the tumbler, thus not only cooling the hot coffee to a palatable temperature, but also encapsulating the volatile aromatics of the cup within the tiny bubbles, which are created when the coffee brew is poured from a height. The bubbles break when you drink your coffee, releasing the aromatics into your nostrils and making the coffee-drinking experience extremely pleasurable. BMag: What stands out to you about your fi rst trip to a coffee farm? Do you visit many coffee farms annually or is most of your interaction with farmers at your lab? SM: My fi rst visit to a coffee farm was to a farm in Chikmagalur. I still remember the impact it had on me. Even today, I think it is also this impact which drives me to work even harder in the industry. I saw a large number of women workers working tirelessly, harvest- ing only the ripe red cherries with deft and nimble fi ngers, exposed to the vagaries of nature, exposed to the cold winds, to rain, to leeches, insects, snakes, or to whatever else nature had to offer. I volunteered to harvest cherries along with them. It was only then that I realized that the task was diffi cult. I followed these women after their day's work to their homes. We had to walk a distance, then I found that their day had not ended, but had just commenced at home. Preparing the day's meal for the entire family, attending to their children's schoolwork and day's needs, cleaning their homes, getting ready for the morrow—it was all in a day's work to commence all over again the next day. Yet the women continued to smile, continued to work with zeal and dedication, and continued to look forward to the morrow. These women made a deep impression on me and helped me to understand that giving should be with a smile and without expecting anything in return. I visit coffee farms even today to study how they process their coffee and advising and suggesting varied processing techniques to upgrade the quality of their produce. Today, I realize that coffee is just Sunalini receiving the Mary Chandy Jacob Prize for the Best Student of the bachelor's degree in Science from the Principal of the Women's Christian College, Madras, India in 1969. 126 barista magazine