Lim Kopi
I wish I could fully elucidate the greatness of Penang’s Kopi-C-Kosong-Peng to you.
Kopi-C-Kosong-Peng = Iced coffee + evaporated milk, no sugar
The best word to describe it: Bad-Ass.
If I could describe it using a song, it would be Skate by Silk Sonic. Unapologetically bold flavours, an unrealistically thick mouth-feel and smooth as velvet. Like the song, Skate, Penang Kopi is just — on a league of its own.
You have to try Penang Kopi there, at a local-approved coffeeshop, to appreciate what I’m saying.
It’s always fun to analyse different coffee cultures. In Singapore, we drink coffee so our bosses won’t catch us dozing off. In Penang, they drink coffee to feel good.
Origins
Where is this particular coffee flavour coming from? It has a lot to do with the variety of coffee grown in Malaysia. The majority of beans are Liberica coffee, which has a distinct harsh and bitter taste. The roasting process was then created according to the nature of the coffee beans available in Malaysia. Hence, it became a common practice for mainstream coffee beans from Malaysia to contain about 70% coffee. The remaining percentage can consist of sugar, margarine, butter and/or salt, which are added during the roasting process, which results in the distinctive texture and flavour of Penang Kopi.
The making
I think I’ve said enough about how powerful Penang Kopi (aka. coffee) is. It’s the epitome of a full-bodied and robust coffee that leaves you begging for more.
But if they’ve done one thing right, it has to be the shape and size of their ice. In Singapore, we use long, hollow, cylindrical ice cubes for our Kopi, which float up and melt unevenly. This leaves a distasteful layer of water on top of the coffee when left to idle. When we stir it, the drink becomes over-diluted and ruined.
But in Penang, the ice cubes used are much smaller, resembling coarse shards. The ice fills at least 80% the entire cup and these shards have a higher surface area to volume ratio, which means that there are more air spaces for the piping hot kopi to settle into and lose heat.
These ice shards allow for a more even melting process. By leveraging the effects of uniform and consistent dilution, the original highly-concentrated Kopi actually becomes more pleasant to the taste-buds over time as the layers of strong flavours gradually unfold.
The Vibes
What makes this iced beverage even more charming is the fact that it’s prepared under the boiling sun, in small alleyways or on the sidewalks.
Halfway through the Chowrasta Morning Market in Georgetown, the alluring, chocolatey wafts of Kopi caress our senses, cheekily luring us towards its source.
Before we knew it, we'd already sat down and ordered a Kopi at a makeshift coffeeshop packed with locals. Even the anticipation and the wait was a meaningful one. We used this opportunity to be a part of the chaotic melange of sights, smells and shouts in the vicinity.
Lim Kopi is an experience not to be missed in Penang.
Comments