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I couldn’t wait to get a copy of Kapihan: A Celebration of Coffee
in the Philippines (ArtPostAsia Publishing, 2007), authored by
Paris-based food writer Noel Sy-Quia and photographed by Neal Oshima.
My recent and burgeoning love for coffee propels me to know all I
can about the subject and a book about our local coffee is doubly
exciting.
Published by the creative minds-on-fire at
ArtPostAsia Pte Ltd. who are also responsible for Foodlore and
Flavors—Inside the Southeast Asian Kitchen, I know that Kapihan
will be another visual treat.
I must say that my excitement sours somewhat
when I discover that the book is sponsored by Nescafé in
celebration of its 70th anniversary in the Philippines (a page-long
introduction by Nestlé Philippines’ Chairman and CEO greets me
right off the bat). I have nothing against the country’s largest
coffee producer and marketer—after all, Nescafé was the only
coffee I knew for a long time—but I feared that the book would be
just one extended promotional campaign for the brand with the words
“Nescafé” and its mother company “Nestlé” injected in
between every other paragraph. Though there’s no dearth of the
Nescafé brand being featured prominently both in photos and text,
I’m relieved to find that it’s not off-putting.
Beginning with the introduction of Nescafé
through the backdrop of World War II, Kapihan makes short work of
detailing the intricacies of coffee: the plant, its varieties, how
it grows, and how it’s roasted. Photos complete what the text
glosses over, and at only 160 pages, this book is for anyone who
wants to know more about coffee without having to trudge through
overly romantic and technical musings that are evident in most books
about coffee.
Despite my initial misgivings about Nescafé and
this book, I’m surprised to read about what the brand has done to
train coffee farmers and to implement direct selling, an approach
chosen by Nescafé to ensure correct payment to the laborers. It
makes sense to me after I see Nescafé’s ongoing series of
newspaper ads paying tribute to the company’s 30,000 coffee
farmers.
Though it seems almost gratuitous, the chapter,
“Why We Love Coffee,” is a testament to how the dark brew really
can be good for you. Backed up with recent studies and photos of
different generations enjoying their java, this chapter is best
summed up with the sentence, “Generations may differ in their
experiences and tastes, but coffee manages to remain relevant to
all.” I’ll say.
My favorite part of Kapihan is “Coffee
Recollections,” a chapter that captures coffee’s role in daily
life whether that be as social lubricator (“Binondo Haven”), as
reason for a first date (“Saving First Impressions”),
‘haute’ coffee (“Durian and Coffee”), as well as the noted
coffees from the Mountain Provinces (“Coffee in High Places”).
After seeing the photos of coffee brewed in siphon pots at
Panciteria Lido in Binondo, I’m eager to make my way there.
There’s nothing like those old coffee places imbued with that old
fashioned spirit.
An added feature is the section on recipes
created exclusively for Kapihan by Chefs Gene Cordova and Jam
Mendoza. The former was my chef-instructor in culinary school so
I’m familiar with his work, which includes here everything from
savories to sweets: Coffee Adobo, Coffee-Crusted Ribeye, Coffee
Ravioli (above), Coffee Banana Tart, Coffee Truffles (above) etc.
Though coffee is never really a main ingredient in the recipes—
it’s more of a supporting player—the dishes featured are quite
doable for the average home cook/baker. The section leaves me
wondering however, why there isn’t a recipe for a coffee drink?
Perhaps something like a pastillas de leche barako latte crowned
with carabao’s milk foam? (A fantasy I’d like to see at my local
coffee place).
Martha Stewart/Michelle Simone-types will enjoy
the recipes on homemade coffee products, among them coffee scrubs
and lotions.
Kapihan: A Celebration of Coffee in the
Philippines, P1,875, available at Fully Booked, Powerbooks, and
National Bookstore
Lori Baltazar can be reached via her website
www.dessertcomesfirst.com or through her e-mail, lori_baltazar@yahoo.com.
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