Coffee: the quintessential Melbourne experience

This past week I was asked to make a personal piece about my passion in coffee, so here it is! ;)

via Meld Magazine, International Student Online Magazine!
Thanks a lot to Karen Poh who edited it ;)

Marcella Purnama’s first taste of coffee divine was at Seven Seeds in Carlton. Photo: Celine Tan

SITTING here in a well-known five-bean-rated cafe sipping my cup of coffee, I begin to wonder about how I came to fall in love with this divine culinary art form. Was it the aroma? Was it the caffeine? Was it the silky milk froth that you can never make at home?

Fascinated, I put down my cup and started thinking, but nothing came. I looked around, getting lost in the busy afternoon of people ordering their brunch and laughing to each other with their cups of coffee in hand. After a long pause, suddenly, I smiled, I knew exactly why I loved coffee.

Do you still remember your first cup? Mine was back in Indonesia when I was still in high school. My older sister and I went to Starbucks and she ordered a mocha. She insisted I should take a sip and I did. I didn’t like it. It tasted weird and I gave the takeaway cup right back to her.

Bittersweet experiences. Marcella reminiscing on old times and her introduction to coffee.

Photo: Celine Tan

My second exposure to coffee was here in Melbourne. As a first year university student, I was told coffee would become your best friend in times of chaos. Inspired, I went, again with my older sister, to Gloria Jeans and both of us ordered a mocha. But this time, I saw coffee in a different light. It became much more than a drink. It became an elixir rich in flavours. Bitter, kind of sweet, acidic.

Before I knew it, I started visiting cafes around town hoping to find the best shot to satisfy my passion.

For me, coffee became an expression of art translated into a cup. Now I can’t get enough of that smell of roasted coffee beans when I first enter a cafe. That rich, flavourful and pleasant aroma. I love the perfect rosetta formed using the silky froth that sits atop an untouched latte – it’s beautiful. I love the nutty, aromatic smell just before I take my first sip. And I love the warm, lovely sensation that stays on my tongue for a few seconds afterwards.

Inside Seven Seeds in Carlton. The destination is part of the charm in Melbourne’s vibrant cafe culture. Photo: Celine Tan

Communal tables in the warehouse cafe/roastery at Seven Seeds where you can share life over a cup of coffee. Photo: Celine Tan

But to be honest, I’m not just infatuated with the coffee itself. I have always loved the atmosphere of a cafe as well. It’s a place to chill and catch-up with your friends. A spot for a romantic evening with your partner. Or just a chance for you to relax, escape from your problems for a while and get lost in a totally different world.

People who love to drink wine will know that balance is the Holy Grail. Like wine, the bitterness and acidity of coffee needs to be in perfect balance for it to be a good cup. But let me tell you this, no one can force you to like a certain type of coffee. Soy latte, decaf mocha, strong cappuccino, espresso or weak flat white – it’s all your choice.

(….) read the full article in http://www.meldmagazine.com.au/2011/03/coffee-the-quintessential-melbourne-experience/ =D