Kopi Joss – Sweet Espresso Coffee with a twist of charcoal

The Indonesian city of Yogyakarta is maybe the only area in the earth exactly where you can have your coffee served with a piece of pink-very hot coal. It’s identified as “Kopi Joss” and it was evidently invented back in the sixties, by an area coffee stall proprietor regarded only as Mr Man, to the solve the problems he dealt with a troubled tummy.

The existing stall operator, Alex, says that Mr Gentleman, who has due to the fact earlier absent, was producing his coffee as usual when he laid eyes on the burning coal that he utilised to boil the drinking water, and a concept popped into his head. His tummy was giving him problems and thought that the coal could make it greater.

So he took a piece of very hot coal and dumped into a cup of coffee. It worked, and he due to the fact started off advertising it to brave shoppers as effectively.

Today, trying a glass of Kopi Joss at Mr Alex’s stall is one of the main tourist attractions of Yogyakarta, but he says that it wasn’t always this way. Back when Mr Man started serving the bizarre drink, only local students and undergrads were crazy enough to try it, but as the word spread of the medicinal properties of the drink, more people stopped by to give it a try.

It’s mainly a novelty for tourists, but Mr Alex claims that it can help alleviate bloating, nausea, heartburn or diarrhoea.

Kopi Joss, or charcoal coffee, starts off as regular coffee in Central Java. Ground coffee and four spoons of sugar are poured into a glass, and them boiling water is added. Then, Mr Alex picks up a lump of red hot coal with his tongs and stumps into the glass as well.

That causes the coffee to bubble over and sometimes spill over the glass, so if you’re putting off by coffee grounds all over your glass, this drink may not be for you. Once the coal cools, you can take it out of the coffee and enjoy the drink.

Apparently, local students frequenting Mr Alex’s coffee stall analysed kopi Joss and found that it has a lower caffeine content than regular coffee because the coal absorbs some of it. The special ingredient also neutralises the acidity of the coffee, making it easier on the stomach.

While some of those who have tried this unique type of coffee claim that it tastes the same as regular Java, others claim that it has a slight taste of caramel because the hot coal burns the sugar added to the coffee. You’ll just have to try it for yourself to find out. A glass will set you back just 4,000 rupiahs (¢30).