Local Coffee History
Coffee shops were mainly owned by the Hainanese. This was related to the fact that the Hainanese worked for the British during the colonial era and had learnt the techniques of making coffee. The habit of drinking coffee was certainly learnt from the colonial masters and this makes the coffeeshop an imitation of the cafe. The coffeeshop, however, is very different from a Western-style cafe.
The way in which the coffee is prepared, served and consumed is unique. Coffee beans here were fried with butter. This was different from the practice in Western Europe or the States, where beans are roasted. A piece of butter was usually served with the coffee. People either added the butter to the coffee or ate it separately. It was believed that this method of drinking coffee would soothe the throat. The locals believed that coffee was a "heaty" drink and butter a cooling food; taken together, they would maintain the balance in the body. The coffee served here was mixed with condensed milk and sugar."
Article adapted from: Chan, Selina Ching. (2003). Consuming Food : Structuring Social Life and Creating Social Relationships" in Chan Kwok Bun & Ton Chee Kiong (eds), Past Times : A Social History of Singapore, Singapore : Times Editions, 2003.
Local Coffee Names
Kopi, coffee
Kopi-gau, coffee (strong brew – "gau" is "厚" in Hokkien)
Kopi-po, coffee (weak brew – "po" is "薄" in Hokkien)
Kopi-C, coffee with evaporated milk
Kopi-C-kosong, coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar ('kosong" means empty in Malay)
Kopi-O, coffee with sugar only
Kopi-O-kosong, coffee without sugar or milk
Kopi-O-kosong-gau, a strong brew of coffee without sugar or milk
Kopi-bing or Kopi-ice, coffee with milk, sugar and ice
Kopi-xiu-dai, coffee with less sugar
Kopi-gah-dai, coffee with extra sweetened milk
