15 Things About Coffee

We found a funny comic strip from The Oatmeal. 15 things worth knowing about coffee that perhaps you didn't knew earlier. Have fun. The Oatmeal has other funny comics around as well.

Cincau Bandung Ais

Most of us have had cincau aka grass jelly or sirap bandung before. Sirap Bandung is basically a cordial drink and more popularly known as rose syrup which is then mixed with condensed or evaporated creamer. Sirap bandung is one of the most popular drink in Malaysia. Yes, Malaysians thrive on sugar. We have quite high number of diabetes cases too. Cut down on sugar people. Come on.

Whereas, grass jelly is is made by boiling the aged and slightly oxidized stalks and leaves of Mesona chinensis (member of the mint family) with potassium carbonate for several hours with a little starch and then cooling the liquid to a jelly-like consistency * Wikipedia

Below is how grass jelly looks like. Can be cut into cubes or strips.

Mixed these two together and you get Cincau Bandung Ais. Best for hot weather, during lunch or dinner or when you visit mamak stalls.
You get your coolness from grass jelly mixed with the refeshing sirap bandung. Potent mix for sugar high on a hot day. Probably will make you sleepy when you're in air-conditioned areas after taking it.

Three Layer Tea aka Teh C Peng

Coffee or tea is usually the favourite local drink if you're at mamak stalls or at normal Malaysian coffeeshops/food courts. We definitely like Teh C Peng but there are two variants. One is from Sarawak and one is from Peninsular Malaysia.

And this time, we're gonna post on the Sarawak version. This version tastes creamy and is full blown of sugar you'd get sugar high like monkeys on chilly. And it actually consist of three distinct layer you can atually see with your naked eyes.


Bottom layer is actually palm sugar or better known as gula melaka locally. This is what makes the Teh C Peng Sarawak different. Then, comes the middle layer which is evaporated creamer. Btw, they don't call it evaporated or condensed milk anymore as it's doesn't really consist of milk. The top part will be the tea itself.

Looks nice. Cool drink for a hot day. Don't drink too much though or you'll get holes in your teeth. Mama said brush your teeth.

Ice Cream Thosai

Note: This is not an advertorial. We're not paid to write this.

I don't take thosai regularly like I do roti canai. Heck, I don't even like it. Taste sour and horrid. Texture is like semi-moist biscuit.

And this afternoon, my perception on thosai totally changed. It was rather a good lunch as we had always known of this restaurant over Twitter but never actually went. So, off we went to Spicy Corner.

Food is the typical Indian banana leaf rice. With a difference though. We all agree that there wasn't this commercial taste like most other Indian banana leaf rice restaurants. And that is the dreaded (aweseome to some) MSG. Tasted the spices and it's au naturale.

Also, the condiments were served in this lil cute cup/bowl thingy.


Ok ok. Backtrack to the Ice Cream Thosai. Splendid on a hot day. Good dessert to have after a spicy and good banana leaf rice.

And the syrup they use? Hershey's yo. Beat that. Nothing better than quality stuff. Ice cream is by Walls if not mistaken. Several flavours in and you get a darn good dessert Malaysian Indian style.

And oh oh oh, if you're on FourSquare, check in to Spicy Corner and you will get a special price of RM4 for Ice Cream thosai. Usual price is RM6. And yes, it's delicious.


Pictures all taken with DiGi BlackBerry Curve 8900

Coconut Jelly

Yes yes, you have heard of coconuts before and yes of nata de coco. Believe us, this is true blue coconut flesh and not the mumbo jumbo fermented cooconut thing you see in supermarkets.

This thing rocks man. Superbly well and good for a hot humid sweaty day like today. There are the traditional ones formed within the coconut shells. Wish we could find those but beggars can't be choosers. We found them in plastic containers.

Taste like coconut, feels like coconut. Of course it does. It's made out of coconut. There is actual coconut flesh or meat (whichever word rocks your world) in the jelly. Nice change from the hard chewy nata de coco. It is advisable to consume the coconut jelly within a day or two as it will turn sour and bad. It won't turn into toddy. That's a post for another day. Seems like the jelly is made out of the coconut juice/milk and formed from cold and hot process. So, no seaweed nor any other agents or preservatives added.

Anyway, if you see it on the roads, do stop by and enjoy one. Best if on an extremely hot day. :)