Lounge Loves: People watching, rum-aged coffee and more

Two Sides of a Biscuit

I know these two brothers who are now US citizens, but their biscuit of choice remains Parle-G, which they grew up eating. Yes, the same biscuit that moms dissolve in a glass of warm milk as enticement when their child is being difficult. Parle-G will be 100 in a decade or so, and there is something about snacking on a piece of history which has remained true to its crunch. In Britain, McVitie’s Chocolate Digestive has turned 100, and now we are told that the right way to eat it is with the chocolate side down. I had to put this theory to test. But in our sweltering weather, the chocolate smears your fingers, more so when you are holding the dark side down. I had to put the biscuits in the fridge first to firm up the chocolate. I tried both versions, and I have to say that I prefer tasting the biscuit part first. Sometimes, you got to pick a side—not with Parle-G though. 

—Nipa Charagi

Bacon Me Crazy

Coming home to a fridge stocked with interesting condiments brings me a lot of joy. I’ve dabbled in making my own aioli and XO sauce, but chilli oils hold a special place in my heart. I’ve tried many versions, from Moi Soi to a small business in Kalimpong, but Nomad’s Bacon Chilli Oil has come out on top. This indulgent condiment is like a hybrid of bacon relish and chilli oil—it pairs surprisingly well with pesto on a Margherita pizza and adds a fun kick to sweet corn chicken soup. Its got chunky bacon bits, Byadgi chillies (the kind used in Mangalorean ghee roast) and Sichuan peppercorns. It’s become my go-to way to curb my craving for several strips of bacon—just a little taste goes a long way.

—Ghazal Chengappa

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The Joy of People Watching

Beyond the museums, flea markets, food and drinks, one of the perks of being on vacation is watching people go about their day. Imagine sitting in a park and just looking at the world around you with no interruptions of work calls/mails/texts—a child playing with his father, a dog chasing a ball, a woman running in a leopard catsuit, two girls drawing each other’s portraits, a formal suit-wearer hurriedly walking past with grocery bags, two young boys laughing while looking at their phones. You see them and cook up stories in your head about who they are, though there’s no actual desire to get to know them or their life stories. In those few minutes, life seems good and all figured out. 

—Pooja Singh

Coffee With a Hit

There’s coffee-infused rum, rumspiked coffee, coffee-rum cocktails, spiced-rum coffee, but I’d never heard of rum-aged coffee until I spent a day at the India International Coffee Festival in Bengaluru last weekend. Listening to planters, café owners, equipment distributors and baristas talk about the business was interesting, but the best part was, of course, sampling coffees at the many stalls. My pick of the day was Harley Estate’s Two Indies Rum Barrel-Aged coffee—the washed beans left for two months in barrels that were used to mature Amrut’s premium rum. The coffee is best brewed in a French Press, and the pour is a rich, warm amber-brown. The aroma has a hint of orange blossom and rum and a sense of sweetness. It’s delicious but a trifle light, and probably not for anyone looking for a big hit—of either rum or coffee. 

—Shalini Umachandran

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