Menyiapkan Kopi a la Vietnam

Alat & Bahan:

penyaring atas, wadah penyaring, tutup (kiri ke kanan)

Penyaring kopi (dalam bahasa Vietnam: phin cà phê), cangkir, sendok, kopi bubuk kasar (coarse ground coffee)

Langkah 1. Masukkan bubuk kopi ke dalam penyaring

Biasanya penyaring kopi Vietnam terdiri dari 3 bagian: (1) wadah penyaring, (2) penyaring atas, (3) tutup. Wadah penyaring diletakkan di atas cangkir. Masukkan kopi bubuk sebanyak kurang lebih 3 sendok teh penuh. Ratakan permukaannya.

Takaran satu sendok teh penuh

Langkah 2. Tutup dengan penyaring atas, tekan dengan lembut

Letakkan penyaring atas di atas kopi

Letakkan penyaring atas menutupi kopi, tekan dengan lembut agar kopi lebih padat. Langkah ini bertujuan untuk mengurangi udara yang terperangkap di antara serbuk kopi sehingga air tidak mengalir terlalu deras.
  

Tekan agar lebih padat

Langkah 3. Masukkan air panas

Air mendidih lebih baik

Masukkan air panas perlahan-lahan sampai penuh. Disarankan menggunakan air mendidih karena akan mengekstrak kopi lebih baik. Air panas dari dispenser pun bisa digunakan dan hasilnya tidak terlalu mengecewakan.

Langkah 4. Tutup dan tunggu

Setelah air panas dimasukkan, tutup penyaring kopi untuk mempertahankan suhu air. Air panas akan mengalir perlahan melalui serbuk-serbuk kopi. Air yang jatuh ke cangkir sudah berwarna hitam dengan aroma kopi yang kuat. Citarasa kopi yang dihasilkan akan semakin kuat jika air menetes lambat dan suhu air tinggi.

Biarkan air menetes habis

Di Vietnam proses ini dilakukan sekali sehingga air kopi yang dihasilkan sedikit tetapi sangat kental. Saya biasa menambahkan air panas sekali lagi setelah air yang pertama turun semua karena masih banyak citarasa kopi yang tertinggal di dalam serbuk kopi.

Untuk sebagian orang di Indonesia, proses menyiapkan kopi a la Vietnam ini terlalu lama dan ribet dibandingkan menyeduh dengan memasukkan kopi bubuk dan gula ke dalam cangkir, masukkan air panas dan mengaduknya. Tapi percayalah, rasa kopi yang dihasilkan sangat mantap, nendang! 

Langkah 5. Nikmati kopi a la Vietnam

Kopi a la Vietnam

Kopi anda sudah siap. Orang barat biasanya meminumnya langsung tanpa penambahan gula atau creamer. Katanya kalau ditambah gula, bisa menutupi rasa kopi aslinya. Saya pun terbiasa tidak menambahkan gula, tetapi kadang-kadang saya tambahkan 1 sendok teh gula pasir.

Tips

• Gunakan bubuk kopi dengan butiran agak kasar. Kopi bubuk yang tersedia di Indonesia biasanya terlalu halus sehingga mudah lolos dari saringan. Saya biasanya membeli kopi yang masih berbentuk biji, kemudian digiling dengan blender (atau coffee grinder / miller).
• Orang Vietnam menggunakan sedikit gula pasir yang dicampur belakangan sesuai selera. Susu kental manis juga populer digunakan sebagai campuran. Biasanya susu kental manis sudah dimasukkan ke dalam cangkir terlebih dahulu sebelum kopi.
• Kopi ini juga enak dikonsumsi dalam keadaan dingin dengan cara menambahkan es batu. Cà phê sữa đá (cà phê = kopi, sữa = susu, đá = es batu) sangat populer di Vietnam terutama di musim panas.

Telaga Warna

This is the second part of my trip story to Dieng plateau, the first one is my previous post Sunrise Above The Clouds.

Observing the sunrise from the top of Sikunir hill requires you to get up early at 4-am and climb the hill for 25 minutes, if you stay in Dieng village. But if you stay in Wonosobo, you need to leave the town at 3-am. The "show" would last till 6.30-am. Still early for a breakfast. Then you have time to do something before having breakfast. Telaga Warna is just right there for you by being located between Sikunir hill and Dieng village.

Telaga Cebong in the shade

I was surprised when I saw a lake from the point I started climbing Sikunir hill that morning. I knew I was there before, and been told there was a lake there. But it was to dark to see anything. It was Cebong lake, named after its tadpole shape ((ke)cebong is tadpole in Indonesian). I was not sure if its shape really looked like a tadpole or not. That was not important, the lake was nice. Hiding in the shadow of ajoining hill. Taking its picture was difficult since its extreme contrast. After taking some pictures I continued my trip to Telaga Warna.

The main gate to Telaga Warna

The high roof main gate to Telaga Warna make it seen easily. The car park was at the main gate's opposite side of the road. I came in at 7-am after paying the ticket. Visiting this lake that early gave me huge advantage, no crowd! As soon as I enter the gate, the strong sulfuric smell hanging in the air just like at many other places in Dieng plateau.

The green colored water of Telaga Warna

 The water was green, I couldn't see anything in it. No small fish, no waterbugs, it just lukewarm acidic water. Some birds were swimming in the lake, they must be taking a bath. I believed it was called Telaga Warna due to its green colored water.  I walked further following a con-block pathway around the lake. It led me to a statue. It was Gajah Mada statue in golden color, with a closed cave by it. It was a sacred meditation place. I soon found out that Telaga Warna site not only had a lake, but also 4 caves/places for meditation: Batu Tulis, Gua Semar, Gua Sumur, and Gua Jaran (Gua is cave in Indonesian). I was not sure if they were still used currently, all were closed.

Gua Batutulis, guarded by Gajah Mada statue

Gua Semar entry

A statue at the Gua Sumur entry

All of the mediation caves were located in a kind of dyke between Telaga Warna and Telaga Pengilon. If Telaga Warna gave me a sterile impression by not having fishes in it, Telaga Pengilon was rich of life. Fishes, bugs, tadpoles, more birds and... fishermen. It had brownish colored water.

I wished I could get to a higher place for a better view on the lakes. God answered my wish, even though I had to punish my lung and legs for a climbing a hill for the second time that morning..... and the view was amazing! Telaga Warna, Telaga Pengilon were there. Mount Sindoro in the background was a big bonus.

Telaga Warna with Telaga Pengilon and mount Sindoro in the background

I took some pictures and gave my lung and legs time to recover before I went down for a breakfast and another destination in Dieng.

Another view to the lake

Click here for more pictures.


Iman
Pemalang, June 13 2010