South Indian Filter Coffee with Amma – Julie Sahani

South Indian Filter Coffee with Amma – Julie Sahani

Coffee is one of the healthiest beverages billions of people consume regularly.

 “South Indian Filter Coffee With Amma” is a wonderful story written by ‘Julie Sahni’ which wonderfully depicts a clear picture about how she loves coffee and how they help her to get back to her old times and memories. Filter coffee has its trademark taste and aroma, nothing can beat the taste of the fresh cup of south Indian filter coffee. At times she gets emotionally drained to her roots, and she feels better after having a hot and frothy filter coffee and she loves the coffee that was prepared by her amma

             The story appears to be written for non-Indian people, as we see when the authors writes the English version of the word before the Hindi one, as in "elixir 'amrita'", "creamy pudding “kheer", "jiggery”   “gur", "mother”, Amma" and the unfunny joke: "form an asana (in my language it means twist into a pretzel. She tries too hard to get the reader to relate to the magic of the milk-related memories of her childhood, and her attachment to her mother, but for reasons I can't place my finger on, fails, and fails miserably at that - succeeding only in getting us mildly irritated.

Perhaps it is the pretentious Nigella tone of the text, or the occasional lapses in meaningful sentence-formation: "She just isn't fond of it, but obsessed with it."
Also, there is the issue of her over-zealous description of everything

This chapter of our textbook appears to be written for non-Indian people, as we see when the authors writes the English version of the word before the Hindi one, as in "elixir 'amrita'", "creamy pudding kheer", "jaggery gur", "mother, Amma" and the unfunny joke: "form an asana (in my language it means twist into a pretzel!)"
She tries too hard to get the reader to relate to the magic of the milk-related memories of her childhood, and her attachment to her mother, but for reasons I can't place my finger on, fails, and fails miserably at that - succeeding only in getting us mildly irritated.
Perhaps it is the pretentious Nigella tone of the text, or the occasional lapses in meaningful sentence-formation: "She just isn't fond of it, but obsessed with it."
Also, there is the issue of her over-zealous description ofeverything.One question that caught my attention: Examine the interconnected themes of memory and taste.

Note to self: do not let hate in mind get transformed into hate on the pages

 ANALYSIS

·      author loves milk not because of ancient Vedic significance as God's favorite food or its referral to as amrita, but because of childhood and younger experiences being greatly influenced by milk

·      milk in kheer, kulfi, barfi, rabri, thandai form. When emotionally drained, warm frothy milk + jaggery + crushed Malabar cardamom +  Kashmiri saffron. Also, khoya with Granny Smith apples

·      or khoya + decoction = milky South Indian filter coffee

·      mom a foodie - author blessed with that special gene

·      describes morning scene: New York to Delhi flight - reached late - jet lag, Delhi air, not early riser - at dawn, bells, bhajans, azan, yoga instructor on neighbor's TV set - back to sleep, but mom whispers, "Julu, come smell the coffee" - author deliberates but only momentarily - will not miss mother's coffee "not today, not any day, never"

·      mother preparing sambar: picks lentils clean of stones, (mention of perfect 20-20 eyesight) then washes and adds them to deep pot for slow uncovered boiling. Seasons with turmeric (rhizome or powder) virgin sesame oil, spices, tamarind, adds shallots and tiny eggplants

·      sambar usu. accompanies idli

·      coffee decoction almost ready

·      now for milk

·      launches into childhood-milkman-memory-recounting-mode <facepalm> <whyyy????>

·      cool winter morning in Kanpur

·      Chandramukhi the cow - adorable calf - secret pact between Lallan and Chandramukhi

·     handful of raw milk straight from cow for author - ensured by mother

·      memory of buffalo-milk from farm - buffalo feisty, kicked Lallan; milk: scent pure and primal

·      back to present - milkman bring 2 litres in morning, and set quantity in evening - ice cold packets - crisis if not used till last drop - donor/receiver list: sister at top of list - excess milk packed and sent to her

·      why mom doesn't bring milk home herself, and why doesn't she use "gadgets meant to zip through cooking"

·      answer: 1. "Employing a person is the best one can do for this country and its people. This is how we are going to build self-worth and esteem." Milkman can now send kids to school - kids can aspire (not only dream) to achieve anything they want

·      answer: 2. A. gets philosophical about cooking lentils (end result equated to butter poached oysters)

·      answer: 2. B. food evolves and transforms - pay attention to detail and you have a recipe for success in life and in food