That perfect blend

While Shaikh works at the MoMo Café at the Courtyard Marriot here,Jogadia works for an Italian coffee brand known as Illy,and travels all over the country promoting this brand. He is currently in the city as part of Illy Indulgence,the five-day festival organised by Marriot,and will acquaint the customers with the various types of Illy coffees.

“Illy coffee is made up of 100 per cent Arabica beans,which gives it more flavor than the Robusta beans,which have much higher caffeine content,” he explains.

The new menu that the two brew masters have introduced includes a number of unique blends,including the Espresso,Macchiato Caldo,Cappuccino Viennese and the Cappuccino Shakerato,to name a few. These feature unique ingredients like sugar syrup,cocoa,whipped cream and various combinations of hot and cold milk.

“Cold coffees are usually sweeter,while hot coffees have a stronger taste,” says Shaikh,who has been brewing coffee for over three years. “We are always experimenting with different ingredients,and there is no real limit to the number of blends that can be made,” he adds.

“There are all kinds of combinations that can be used to make coffee more interesting,but each recipe requires a lot of research and effort,” says Jogadia,who is four years old in the business of coffee-brewing. The barista adds that orange and coconut are two flavours which combine well with coffee,as do other citrus fruits.

Alcoholic coffees are also part of their repertoire,with recipes such as the Beatrice (Espresso with Vodka and ice),Coffee Time (Espresso with Vodka and an orange peel) and Giamaicano (Espresso with coffee liqueur and dark rum) finding their way into the menu.

“When mixing coffee with alcohol,achieving the correct balance between the two is vital,” says Shaikh.

Both brew masters are of the opinion that in spite of the rising awareness about different brews,true coffee connoisseurs in India are few and far between.

“Other than the common types of coffee like Cappuccino and Espresso,Indians are not aware of the varieties of coffee that are available,” he adds . “The coffee culture in India is somewhat incomplete,but is slowly improving thanks to the numerous coffee chains coming up all over,” says Jogadia.

So what does coffee mean to them? “Coffee is a refreshing drink which readies people to face a new task,” Shaikh states cheerfully.

“To me,coffee is a reason for meetings and conversations,and a catalyst for the formation of bonds between human beings,” Jogadia signs off with a smile.