Cold Coffee … and my taste buds start recollecting the creamy, mouth-filling Lacto, the bittersweet aftertaste of coffee, and if it’s blended with a hint of chocolate, mmmm nothing better … Simply Heaven.
Origin of Cold Coffee
Cold Coffee or Iced coffee, may be different, but their origin can be traced back to early 1840, in Algeria, where it was called Mazagran, The Original Iced Coffee. You guessed it right, it was just coffee syrup with cold water, non-dairy yes very much vegan.
Things evolve based on the circumstances and the environment; Iced Coffee too has its own variations across the globe. In Australia, iced coffee is coffee-flavored milk with a lot of added sugar, which is typically topped with ice cream and whipped cream. Germans have their way of calling it Eiskaffee, coffee with ice cream, and it is mostly with milk and instant coffee. The American love Cold Brew Coffee, yes cold-brewing an iced coffee by soaking ground coffee and chicory with water.
But when it comes to INDIA, we love it our way, coffee without milk is an absolute no. So, what we do is, our Cold Coffee usually consists of instant coffee mixed with cold/frozen milk in a blender, producing a thin, coffee-flavored smoothie. But hold on, there are some intelligent ones and some who like to be creative have their cold coffee Thick, Creamy and yes obviously Cold.
In my search for an INDIAN version of super yummy cold coffee, I have tasted many versions, in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, and Chennai at Brands like CCD, Barista, and even at local cafes in each locale. But I fall in love with one, I know this would be a one-sided affair, but still, I am all set for it.
Coffee Shop in Surat
During my stay at Surat, I happened to be at a Local Coffee Shop in Surat, rather I was taken there by a local friend who swore by the taste of the Cold Coffee there, he simply put it straight, “Ajay’s ka Cold Coffee nahi piya to kya piya”.
Let me come directly to the LOVE AT FIRST SIP. But before that, I was skeptical, what great shall one give in Rs.20 and my doubt rose a level more when I saw the portion being offered, nothing less than a 200 ml cup. Being a foodie, disbelief is a part and parcel of the bite. I simply took it in my stride, with Rs.20 at stake, there wasn’t anything more to be pondered upon.
The Paper Glass and straw were the speed breakers, yes indeed, they actually slowed me down in my journey of “LOVE AT FIRST SIP”. The branding that was evident on the Paper Glass and even the straw made me waste some time looking at and then appreciating the concern for the environment. What I liked most was the hashtag #ApniColdCoffee.
Sorry, I got swayed… so the first sip was “Jannat”, the creamy texture, extraordinary mouth fill, perfectly sweetened, just apt bitter, perfect serving temperature, my buds could sense chocolate (but the recipe was not revealed) and most importantly it was thick too. I was like “itne se paise me itna kuch?”. My day was made, I ended up with yet another serving and an unquenched thirst for having one more.
From the day till the date, my Love for Ajay’s cold coffee has been as loyal as Katappa. Many come, many go but Ajay’s Cold Coffee is here to stay, it’s been over 4 years that my Love for Ajay’s Cold Coffee has always grown. Ajay’s Cold Coffee has never betrayed me, her taste, her consistency, and her charm to entice me and rejuvenate me have never gone down. I now feel it has not been a one-sided love story, my coffee loves me equally as I do her. Ajay’s is the best coffee shop in Surat.
My humble request to her parents (Ajay’s walo), pls keep making her just the way she is… I love Ajay’s Cold Coffee.