Get creative with your aromatic brew
Coffee is fast becoming the beverage of choice among Sri Lankan millennials. Whether it’s quiet reflection in solitude, a good conversation with a colleague or catching-up with an old friend, many young adults prefer making these connections over a great cup of coffee. Ask them why and they’ll tell you it holds an aspirational appeal; sure, it tastes great, but it is also a social experience, a statement, a lifestyle choice.
Coffee drinkers in general are getting younger, want greater choice, better quality, and simple convenience. For those who don’t have the time or inclination for brewing at home or visiting a café or vending machine, instant coffee is their go-to for instant rejuvenation.
The allure of instant coffee, very much a part of the lifestyle of young urban Sri Lankans, reflects its rich and innovative history.
Instant coffee (or soluble coffee) was introduced to the world in 1938, when Nescafé was launched on a crisp spring day in Switzerland. But its story actually starts a few years earlier, in 1929, when Nestlé was asked to find a solution to Brazil’s large supply of surplus coffee resulting from the Wall Street Crash. The ‘Banque Francaisee Italienne pour l’Amerique du Sud’ owned coffee beans in Brazil and were unable to sell it when coffee prices collapsed.
With the largest R&D network of any food company in the world, Nestlé accepted the challenge. After nine years of research and hard work, Nestlé’s lead scientist on the project, Max Morgenthaler, suddenly had a ‘Eureka!’ moment.
He invented a convenient soluble coffee powder that preserves the bean’s real aroma, but lasts a lot longer. As a result of his breakthrough work, Nestlé launched Nescafé in 1938. It took Switzerland by storm, and two short months later, the rest of the world followed.
Feel like experienting on International Coffee Day?
Try these recipes:
NESCAFÉ COOKIE CRUMBLE
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of Nescafe Classic
250ml cold milk
20ml chocolate syrup
6 ice cubes
6 cookies (Medium sized)
Garnish:
1 extra cookie (crumbled)
Add sugar to taste
Method:
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and gently add some of the extra crumbled cookie. Stir and garnish with a little more crumbled cookie.
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NESCAFÉ CHOCCA MOCCA
Ingredients:
To make 4-5 coffee ice cubes:
5 teaspoons of Nescafe Classic
250ml warm water
To make the Chocca-Mocca:
250ml fresh milk
2 teaspoons of chocolate powder
Chocolate grated to garnish
Add sugar to taste
Method:
First prepare the coffee ice cubes. Mix the Nescafe Classic with 250ml of warm water. Pour it into an ice cube tray and leave in the freezer. TIP: Do this well in advance so you have the ice cubes when you want to create the Chocca-Mocca.
To create the Chocca-Mocca, heat the milk and add the chocolate powder into a pitcher. Stir the mixture. Be careful not to heat the milk above 40°C. In a glass put in 4 or 5 of the coffee ice cubes. Then pour the chocolate milk over and garnish with the grated chocolate.
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NESCAFÉ AFFOGATO
Ingredients:
1-2 scoops Vanilla ice cream
120 ml hot water
2 teaspoons of Nescafe Gold
Cookie crumbles for garnish
Add sugar to taste
Method:
In a serving bowl add 1 or 2 scoops ofvanilla ice cream. Mix the Nescafe withhot water to create a coffee shot. Finally pour the hot coffee over the ice cream and garnish with cookie crumbs.