Kopi in the Time of Covid.
I drink Kopi most days...I lOVE it, all that condensed milk, caffein goodness!! What's not to like?!
I wanted to find out about how to make cup of one of the most photographed South East Asian beverages ☕️
At my local Hawker Food centre on Old Airport Road, I order Kopi and noodles whenever I can. One morning Joyce offered to show me how to make a Kopi.
First the socks. They're cotton, the gauge must be just right, too fine and the coffee flavour can't percolate through, too lose and too much gets through.
The art of making a cup of Kopi.Coffee socks.
The coffee socks should be rinsed and hung up to dry after they have been used. Joyce grimaced and said, 'some shops just turn them inside out!!'
Tea socks (below). Usually each day is a 3 sock day, but now, as everyone is taking away, it's become 5 sock days! Tea socks are different in a couple of ways, firstly they are slightly thinner gauge cotton, secondly, they contain tea leaves, as opposed to the coffee socks which have already brewed coffee poured through them.
Above, coffee kettle and slightly smaller tea kettle. On the shelf to the right is the condensed milk, sugar and evaporated milk for the teas and coffees.
Once the brewed coffee is poured through the sock (which retains the grounds) the strained coffee is poured into a glass containing 1cm (ish) of condensed milk. The coffee and milk are mixed together and hot water is added. Sometimes the coffee & milk mixture is passed back & forth from a glass to a metal beaker to create a froth.
A coffee or tea sock can last a few days weeks, or months depending how much they are used.
Coffee sock in a tin kettle (below) waiting to have brewed coffee poured into it. The charcoal stove (you can just see the red of the charcoal) keeps the coffee hot, and also the whole kitchen. This is hot, hot work!!
The coffee grounds are bought in big sacks from neighbouring coffee producing Java & Vietnam, and tea from Malaysia & China.
Coffee sock with coffee in over a charcoal stove.
Below, a brand new coffee sock, price to buy, $SN1.
Pancakes. Now that's a story for another day.....
These photos were originally posted on instagram a couple of months ago, but I had so much interest and messages from other Kopi enthusiast I thought I'd write it all into a blog. Those of you who have travelled in South East Asia will know and love Kopi I am sure!
Here's to better times to come and enjoying coffee together again!!
Hope you are all safe and healthy. Thanks for reading my blog 😊
Ruth Xx
