40: Why kopi and kopitiams deserve celebration and recognition | Robert Chohan, founder of Kopi House UK

Robert Chohan: “The Singaporean world of coffee offers something completely different – there’s no espresso, there’s no latte, there’s no cappuccino. It’s strong coffee with old school milk and sugar, and for people that want something different, they have evaporated milk. This entire world of coffee is the backbone and blood of Singapore because everything happens around kopitiams and food joints in general. This coffee – not only does it come from Singapore, it is accessible by everyone, it is so affordable. But here’s the thing – from what my Singaporean friends have told me, to them it’s just normal. It’s probably a case of you’re so exposed to it, you’ve grown up with it. If you have a food or product that is so everyday life, that means it is important because everyone celebrates it.”Chohan, founder of Kopi House UK, shares about his first encounter with kopi, plus: *The history of kopi* *Eurocentrism and coffee* *Small-batch kopi* *Agak agak in kopi brewing vs the ‘fuss’ behind European coffee brewing* *Kopi beyond the Hainanese community* *Origins of kopi guyou (butter coffee)* *Torrefacto roasting in Europe and Singapore* *Differences between European cafes and kopitiams* *Mcdonaldization of kopitiams*