Coffee is, without a doubt, the most superior beverage to ever exist — fight me on it. 

I know what you’re thinking right now. This debate has been had many times before. There is a long and well-known history to the battle between coffee and tea. But, hold your horses, I’m not just here to reiterate what you have already been told. I am here to present my very own completely biased opinion. 

Oh and please do fight me. I want to hear your rebuttal and am dying for a debate. 

In my 20 years of living, I have tried many beverages, be it tea, coffee chai or lassi, but nothing — absolutely nothing — brings me as much joy as a good cup of coffee. I love coffee from the process of buying the ingredients to making it, all the way to drinking the very last drop every time. It’s a ritual in my routine that I especially look forward to and make a priority to enjoy.

Now, what is it that I enjoy about coffee? I think the real question here is what do I not enjoy about coffee? Nothing. 

I love coffee for its spectacular aroma — its creaminess, its rich flavour, its caffeine content and the subsequent energy boost it gives me. There’s nothing like the coffee shop smell. And last but not least I love coffee because of its variety. 

Where do I begin to talk about coffee’s variety? There is cold brew and normal brew, dark roast, light roast and medium roast. And that’s just the start. Consider all the coffee drinks out there — we’ve got lattes, cappuccinos, americanos — the list goes on. In short, there’s definitely something for everyone to enjoy.

My personal favourite drink is a simple iced latte. If I want to kick it up a notch, I love an iced hazelnut latte or a caramel-flavoured latte, like the iced caramel macchiato from Starbucks. But to be honest, I would drink any type of coffee because the coffee cult is about more than just your signature drink. 

Now, to talk about the other side of the picture — tea. I have tried tea many times. I have tried green tea, chai and other kinds of tea that I don’t recall. No matter how hard I’ve tried to become a tea person, tea just doesn’t taste that good. To me at least, it tastes like flavoured water — which means it tastes terrible. I would rather just drink hot water, unflavoured. 

Another competing beverage that many people enjoy is alcohol. Now, I personally can’t talk about this beverage because I’ve never had alcohol. However, I will present a simple comparison to rebut it. How do you feel after drinking coffee versus after drinking alcohol? 

Coffee gives you energy, it makes you more aware of yourself and your surroundings — it leads to productivity. On the other hand, alcohol does the opposite. And why would anyone, especially university students, choose alcohol over something that makes them more productive?

That’s your inspiration for Dry January, I guess. 

I haven’t even gotten to all the scientific research done about coffee — and I won’t, because I already told you that I’m here to give you a fresh perspective on the ancient debate. However, I do urge you to do more research about coffee and see for yourself what the scientific community has to say about it. 

I hope for my fellow coffee lovers, that this has reignited your passion for coffee. And for those unaware of coffee’s superiority — go try it for yourself. And try many types of coffee before you pass your judgment. Black coffee is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. 

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Wardah Anwar| News Editor

Photo: Wardah Anwar | News Editor