Filipino coffee habits

Filipinos have developed their own unique ways of drinking Nescafé and these have all been largely influenced by practices handed down to them by their elders, their living conditions, and their work environment. Some of them, though, just wanted to experiment on the flavors of this iconic coffee brand and in the process of trying out new concoctions, have developed delightful coffee treats.

Inherited coffee habits

Mang Rudy, 46, is a school bus driver who has developed the habit of drinking coffee while eating a kakanin. Before he sends students to school in the morning, he always buys suman, puto, kalamay, or biko—native delicacies that are readily available in the neighborhood where he parks his vehicle.

Enjoying coffee with these foods is a habit that Mang Rudy has developed over the years. These native treats served as “snacks” or even “full meals” for people like him who grew up in the province.

Talk about having coffee as a meal, Mang Rudy’s fellow school bus drivers, meanwhile, mix their prepared Nescafé coffee with rice—serving as both soup and viand.

The Ramos children, whom Mang Rudy drives to school, on the other hand, has a more unique “take” on enjoying their coffee; they’ve transformed it into a frozen treat. What they do is to prepare coffee with cream and then place it inside the freezer. Once the “concoction” is frozen, they take it out and enjoy it as a dessert or even as a merienda.

All these practices—from Mang Rudy’s to the Ramos children—are something that they all inherited from their parents and even grandparents.

Fast-paced lifestyles

One’s enjoyment of Nescafé has likewise been largely influenced by their work and lifestyles. Today’s busy youth, for example, has taken to liking the ready-made mix of Nescafé 3in1 and the coffee provided by Nescafé’s vendo machines.

The Nescafé vendo machines are popular in workplaces because they help employees to be alert and ready for work. Drinking coffee is also a sound way to increase concentration and improve performance at work.

Kenneth, a call center agent, for example, swears that the coffee he gets from the Nescafé vendo machine is the perfect companion when he goes on his graveyard shift. It charges him up and helps him to stay awake and focused on his tasks.

For Nicole, a supervisor in a prestigious management consulting and outsourcing company, Nescafé 3in1 is perfect for hectic days. When not busy, she enjoys her coffee with a cookie or biscuit, dipping them in the concoction. Good thing the company Nicole works for keeps stocks of Nescafé 3in1 for its employees.

Experimenting on flavors

If some people like to combine their coffee with pandesal or suman, there are also other coffee-lovers who like their coffee paired with fresh fruits. Davaoenos, for example, have an exceptional manner of drinking Nescafé. Jayson, born and raised in Davao, has learned to drink coffee while eating durian.

Jayson says that durian and coffee are a perfect match in Davao. He explains that durian adds an exciting taste to his enticing hot coffee. Whenever there is durian in his house, his routine is to pair it with a deliciously hot Nescafé. Since the fruit is widely available, Davaoenos learned to match coffee with fresh durian. The fruit’s sweet taste and custard-like texture makes coffee-drinking more pleasurable for many of them.

And for those who do not have sweet delicacies and fruits on hand, they have found other ingredients to complement their coffee.

Tisha, a college student, for example, uses caramel to enjoy her Nescafé. By just mixing caramel syrup and powdered creamer with coffee, she can instantly have a sweet and delightful beverage. She likes ice-cold drinks so sometimes she also adds ice cubes to her coffee. If there’s vanilla syrup available, she also uses it to make her instant coffee more flavorful and aromatic.

These are just some of the ways that Filipinos enjoy their Nescafé. How about you?

How do you enjoy yours?

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Josephine Aguilar-Placido is a Sociology professor at the University of Sto. Tomas and has been a regular resource person in several talk shows and symposia.