World's Costliest Coffee

Most of us cannot imagine starting our day without a cup of coffee. A steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee is certainly the best possible way to start the day. Sipping coffee with your friends is considered one of the best ways to start a conversation. An enthusiast might also know that Brazil is the world's largest producer of Coffee (at 34% of total produce) and that India is among the Top 5 coffee producers in the world.

But, have you ever spared a thought as to which might be the costliest coffee in the world?

Forget the rich Arabica (believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated in Yemeni mountains) and Robusta (another variety grown in Central and Western Sahara) or even the Kopi Luwak (Civet Coffee described in detail below) – the Costliest Coffee Bean on the stands is.. believe it or not.. the elephant dung variety produced and marketed by a resort in Thailand.

Yes.. you read it right.. :)
This animal.. 

is fed with this..

and poops out this...

from which the digested coffee beans are processed.. :)

Arguably, Black Ivory Coffee or the elephant dung coffee offered by a Resort/Group of Hotels in Thailand is the Costliest Coffee in the world. It is made from beans eaten and digested by elephants living on a reserve in Thailand. When animals pass the beans in their excrement, they are harvested, cleaned up and processed into coffee grinds. The resulting brew is said to be floral and chocolaty, the taste containing notes of 'milk chocolate, nutty, earthy with hints of spice and red berries.'

Research indicates that during digestion, the enzymes of the elephant break down coffee protein. Since protein is one of the main factors responsible for bitterness in coffee - Lesser protein means  lesser bitterness.

This exquisite coffee costs the adventurous drinker a good  $1,100 per kilogram. That's roughly about 50$ for a cup of coffee. For the sake of comparison Kopi Luwak (or Civet Coffee) is priced about $750 per kilogram in a New York shop.

History of Coffee from Animal Poop
Of course, the notion of roasting pooped-out beans isn't a new one. Kopi Luwak (or Civet Coffee), a Southeast Asian brew made from coffee berries passed through the digestive tract of an Asian palm civet was the first of its kind and was crowned as the costliest coffee in the world till the elephant poop variety was introduced.

Origin of Kopi Luwak is an interesting story in itself. In the early 18th century the Dutch introduced the coffee plantations in Java and Sumatra (Indonesia) which was their colony then. Coffee was an expensive drink then, only for the elite and naturally the plantation workers and natives were prohibited from picking coffee fruits for their own use by their Dutch masters. Natives desparately wanted to taste the famed coffee beverage. 

As the saying "Necessity is the mother of inventions" - the natives learned that certain species of Civets (known as Chirathe Bekku in Kannada)

consumed the coffee fruits and  they left the coffee seeds undigested in their droppings. 

The natives collected these Civets' coffee seed droppings, then cleaned, roasted and ground them to make their own coffee beverage. The fame of aromatic civet coffee spread from locals to Dutch plantation owners and soon became their favorite, yet because of its rarity and unusual process, the civet coffee was expensive even in colonial times. 

This is because the Civet is likely to look for Coffee berries that has a quite good quality, naturally riped and sweet as their food. With a sensitive sense of smell, the civet will pick truly riped optimal cherries as food, and thereafter, the beans those are still hard skin protected will come out with undigested civet droppings. This happens because the civet has a simple digestive system, so hard foods like coffee beans is not digested.

 

Science behind it

A Civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In the digestive tract, the civets' proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness.
 

Poop Tea is not far behind

In fact, Coffee isn't the only beverage to get into the dung business. Earlier this year, there were reports that a Chinese businessman announced that he planning to sell organic green tea grown with panda dung for more than $200 a cup. (though there are no confirmed buyers till now)

Next time when you are offered this exquisite coffee in Thailand or Indonesia...you know what to expect !!!

The Splendor of Autumn - Fall Colors at New Hampshire

Autumn (or the Fall) season marks the transition from Summer into Winter. It is the season of primary harvest. Its better to describe in the words of English romantic poet John Keats. First part of the poem goes like this..

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Keats metaphorically represents Autumn as the one who conspires, who ripens fruit, who harvests, who makes music, involved with the promotion of natural processes, growth and ultimate maturation. Within the poem, autumn represents growth, maturation, and finally an approaching death. There is a fulfilling union between the ideal and the real.

Every autumn we revel in the beauty of the fall colors. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of chemical processes that take place in the tree as the seasons change from summer to winter.

During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring.

In the Autumn or Fall season, the Chlorophyll Breaks Down, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.

At the same time other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments. Some mixtures give rise to the reddish and purplish fall colors of trees such as dogwoods and sumacs, while others give the sugar maple its brilliant orange.

The autumn foliage of some trees show only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and pigments in the leaf during the fall season.

The best thing about Autumn is that, it is the time of the year where every leaf in the tree becomes a flower. The entire tree looks like one big flower. The Fall Colors are absolute delight and feast for the eyes..

As it is said that "A picture is worth a thousand words".. I'd like to share a few snaps from my visit to the New England region in the United States..White Mountains, New Hampshire to be precise..


Lake Chocorua
A picturesque lake in the northeast New Hampshire. It is noted for its serene setting with little or no development surrounding it and for its stunning views during fall season. There is very little human development mainly due to the conservation easements i.e. per law the landowners are required to preserve the forested buffers that surround the lake.

The below snaps were taken just before the sunset. The lighting was perfect and the first photograph happens to be one of my favorites.

North Conway Railroad Station
Built in 1874, the North Conway Railroad Station served as the northern terminus for the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad.

By the middle of the 20th century, the use of passenger rail declined sharply, and passenger service to Boston ended in 1961. The building was abandoned for several years until The Conway Scenic Railroad reopened the station in 1974 for seasonal train excursions within the Mount Washington Valley. The railroad station became a National Historic Landmark in 1979.

The building now houses a gift shop and ticket booth for the scenic train rides.

A Tree @ the North Conway Station Complex

Mount Cannon
Mount Cannon at 1240 metres is one of the tallest peaks in the Franconia Notch region of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Below snaps were taken from top of the Mount Cannon and the Aerial Tramway on the way up to the summit.

 

The entire hillocks surrounding the region appears colorful..

..as though somebody has sprayed random colors..Look at the various blue shades at the top of the photo, followed by yellow/orange/pink colors covering the hills and ending with the green shades at the bottom right side..not to forget the highway (I-93) that passes through the Franconia Notch region..

Fall Colors at Lake Echo..

This photo was taken from the Aerial tram on the way back to the foothills.

Kancamagus Highway
Kancamagus Highway, named after an native indian tribe leader who ruled southern New Hampshire, is one of the most famous National Scenic Byway in the United States. It is known for its views of autumn foliage and is a popular drive in September and October for so-called leaf peeping tourism. It is a 34 mile long two-lane road that runs east through the west from North Woodstock to Conway in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire. The entire stretch is devoid of any human development. You won't find any Fuel bunks or restaurants. There are a few camping grounds for enthusiasts.

The highway lives upto its reputation of being the best route in New Hampshire for leaf peeping tourism. Rain or shine, tourists flock during the months of September and October to catch a glimpse of brilliant colored fall foliage. Visitors are greeted with deep forest smells of pines and changing leaves.

A few snaps taken along the Kancamagus highway with its vibrant fall colors...

The Swift river which flows all along the Kancamagus Highway..this is also one of my favorite snaps from this collection..

A few more clicks of the vibrant fall colors..

Fall Foliage - Across White Mountains, New Hampshire

A Quick visit to the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam

I had been to Mysore last week for my cousin's marriage and inspite of the busy schedule, I took some time off to pay a quick visit to the Krishnaraja sagar (KRS) dam. 12 years had passed since my last visit (in 1997). In fact, during my last visit also, I had come to attend a wedding in Mysore. Invariably, I end up visiting the KRS only when I attend marriages in Mysore.. ;-)

The road that leads to KRS from Mysore is not one of the best, with many craters throughout. Some of 'em looked like they have been imported from the moon (who said only b'lore roads have potholes), but the journey was quite pleasant due to the weather, company, etc amongst other reasons.. ;-)..

As soon as we crossed the Mysore City Border, we were greeted by a whiff of fresh air and lush green fields on either side of the road. It appeared as if, green blankets had been spread all the way through. Apparently, the fields in and around the region are green throughout the year since the leakage water from the reservoir keeps the region wet all the time. The ride was quite nice. On the way, the view on either sides was magnificient. We stopped at two separate view points from where we could see the water gushing out of the crest gates. Especially, while travelling on one particular stretch (which happened to be a bridge) the view was quite spectacular. One could see the water flowing out of crest gates, the lush green fields and the Krishnaraja sagara lake. It was a deadly combo and quite a scene, so much so that I slowed my josh machine on the bridge to enjoy the ambiance/backdrop and allowed the less powerful automobiles to zoom past me..

We reached the destination and were dejected to hear that the authorities prohibited people to visit the top of the dam due to security measures in the wake of terrorist attacks at various places in the country. Such a step had been taken to ensure safety and security of the structure.

However, we came to know from the localites that one could enter the reservoir through the old entrance and chances are that the authorities might allow us inside. We took the chance and were able to get a glimpse of the reservoir from the top. The water at Krishnaraja Sagar Dam was almost 124 ft (Maximum 124.80 ft). The monsoon's been quite good in southern karnataka this season and as a result the dam was almost full. This would definitely bring cheer to the people of Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore, since the amount of water in the dam would address our water woes for the coming few months. Moreover, there is enough water even to meet the commitments required to be fulfilled to Tamil Nadu. So, hopefully there won't be a Kaveri crisis this time around.

The entire episode was an exhilarating experience. I have shared few snaps that I was able to click at the KRS (Courtesy: My cell phone camera)

Traffic sense of the Mysoreans

With great disgust I am posting this article.

Last week I had been to Mysore. Its always a great feeling to visit one's native place and I enjoyed every moment of my stay there. The people are friendly and cordial. They make you feel comfortable and their hospitality is exceptional.

But, there's one thing which I would like to comment about the the Mysoreans.. their traffic sense. People here are absolute idiots when it comes to obeying the traffic rules. Being a mysorean, I feel aggrieved to say this, but it is a fact. Probably, less than 1% of the people follow the rules of the road. Rest of the lot have their own set of rules, which varies as per their needs. Traffic rules are Bullshit for the people here. There is so much chaos on the streets that, if you are obeying the road rules in Mysore city, you will certainly end up with an accident.

In fact, one could forgive if an illiterate who doesn't drive much on city streets or in traffic commits an offence. But, the educated class of Mysore breaking the rules is something unforgivable. The illeterates are better-off in some cases, they follow some rules out of fear atleast.

I encountered a situation, where in the traffic cop was asking people to go in a road @ the heart of the city, that was marked one-way, in the reverse direction. Guys, you are supposed to force people to follow the rules, for godssake.

Its perhaps time for Mysoreans to wake up, get off their lazy ass and learn to follow some rules.

PS: Its not that I had some unpleasant experience and out of frustration I am writing this article. I have never been involved in any traffic brawls till date.

A pitstop at the Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta

Location:
Chamarajanagar district.. 10 kms deviation from the Blore-Ooty state highway..after Gundlupet and before Bandipur.. roughly around 215 kms from Blore.

After almost 3 years I was able to make it to the family trip, which takes place twice an year.. this time ppl had planned to visit Bandipur and BR Hills..

The Bandipur visit was pretty ordinary with sightings of only few elephants, mangoose, eagles n peacocks.. tigers n leopards were nowhere to be seen... apparently there were only 9 sightings of tigers last season.. needless to say, the population of big cats are decreasin' day by day... and needs immediate attention of the concerned authorities and the public as well..

With the Bandipur visit gettin' wrapped pretty quickly (within 4 hrs to be precise).. we had plenty of time to visit another nearby place and we zeroed in on Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta.. one of my favorite places in southern karnataka.. in fact, several years had passed since our last visit to the betta..

Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta's an enchanting place.. a hill in the midst of Bandipur forest.. a good 1500 mts in altitude, extensively wooded, it falls under the core area and the betta is frequented by herds of grazing elephants.. even tigers roam around sometimes.. dense fog's present all through the year which makes the weather very very pleasant in the region... the tranquility of this place, the aroma of the wet mud, the cooling effect it has on the mind and body, is very very pleasing.. one forgets all the tensions of the metro life... inspite of visitin' this place several times, one feels like goin' back again n again.. the place's kinda magnet..

The temple at the hilltop (of Lord Gopalaswamy) was supposedly built by King Chola few centuries ago.. the idol of gopalaswamy in the garbha griha is flanked by rukmini n sathyabhama.. with cows in the background.. the lord himself's playin' the flute under the tree.. the dense fog (hima in kannada) falls on the idol throughout the year...

Legend has it that sage agastya performed penance and requested lord vishnu to reside @ this very place and the place came to be known as hamsatheertha (lake of swans).. according to the priests of the temple, the hills are surrounded by 77 lakes.. and being a holy place, the lakes of which were occupied by swans (swans represent divine knowledge and peace in hinduism) ..crows never ventured to this place... and you cannot spot a single crow @ the hill and its surroundings even now..

we had just half a day to spend at this place and we enjoyed a lot.. the very thought of the place enthuses me... i wanna visit this place again.. perhaps plan a hiking trip or something.. which'll be more fun... i'd definitely recommend a visit to this place, for all the nature lovers out there..

I've shared few snaps of the place.. hope u like 'em..

Election Time - Cast your vote

Its election time ppl.. Needless to say, most of 'em 're corrupt.. but as a citizen its ur duty to vote so that the least corrupt wins !! ..

Go out and cast your vote ppl !! .. Not everyone in this world gets a chance to vote in the largest democracy of the world !!

PS: I did vote today !!!

Raju Ananthaswamy is no more..

This might be an old news for mosta ya.. but I came to know about it quite recently, bcoz, nowadays, I, kinda live in stone age {courtesy my deputation to noida, i've been robbed of the luxuries of internet and kannada channels aren't available on television}.

Being an ardent fan of the Ananthaswamys {both father n son}, I was kinda hurt by Raju Ananthaswamy's sudden demise.. he had an unique voice, which suited his kinda music.. among his best ones, the song jollybarinalli with C.Ashwath and the melodious song yaava mohana murali kareyithu in Raju's soulful voice, from muvi America America still rings in the ears..

He had lots more to give to the sugama sangeeta and loads to achieve, but for fate.. it has alwayz been cruel on young musicians.. few years ago, it was GV Atri, now its Raju..

Nevertheless, we, kannadigas, will definitely miss Raju and alwayz remember his special voice... Raju may not be here anymore, but his voice'll stay in millions of kannadigas' hearts forever... may his soul rest in peace !!