Kopi Joss
Recently I was having a coffee with an Indonesia friend, and he mentions
that in his home town of Yogyakarta they put a piece of burning charcoal in
their coffee. As it had to do with coffee, he had my interest.
He explained this innovation isn’t usually found in
your up market coffee establishments but typically served in side of the road
stalls.
Apparently
invented by a local coffee stall owner back in the 1960s, it helped him deal
with a troubled stomach. The belief is that adding a piece of hot charcoal in
the coffee helps neutralize its acidity. Other claimed health benefits include
it can help alleviate bloating, nausea, heartburn and even diarrhoea.
So how does my
friend make it: its ground coffee and three/four spoonful’s of sugar in a
glass, add boiling water and mix. Then comes the magic ingredient using tongs a
lump of red-hot charcoal is dropped in, this causes the coffee to bubble. When cooled, do remember to take out the charcoal before
drinking and all being well you will have an enjoyable cuppa coffee.
