What is KOPI?

KOPI 咖啡

So what is KOPI?

In Southeast Asia, KOPI means coffee.

To be specific, KOPI refers to a type of Nanyang (南洋，South Sea) coffee, that is prepared with condensed milk and sugar.

Traditionally, the coffee beans are wok-roasted with sugar, margarine, and sometimes pineapple skin and corn, to give KOPI its distinct sweet buttery flavor. The beans are then ground and brewed with a sock-like cotton strainer in watering can-sized pots.

Freshly brewed KOPI is usually served in thick white ceramic cups decorated with dark green flowery patterns. Or, if you are feeling particularly nostalgic, you can visit one of the hawker center KOPI-tiams (咖啡店，coffee stall) to buy KOPI served in a transparent plastic bag.

And just as Westerners have their cappuccinos and lattes, Singaporeans have a variety of KOPI styles to choose from.

This is how you order your coffee in Singapore:

Kopi: Black Coffee with condensed milk
Kopi Peng: Sweet black coffee with condensed milk and ice
Kopi O Siew Dai: Black coffee with less sugar
Kopi-O: Sweet black coffee
Kopi-Kosong: Unsweetened black coffee
Kopi Kosong Peng: Unsweetened black coffee with ice
Kopi-O Peng: Sweet black coffee with ice
Kopi Gah Dai: Black coffee with extra condensed milk
Kopi Po: A weaker coffee with condensed milk
Kopi Gau: Strong coffee with condensed milk
Kopi-C: Coffee with unsweetened evaporated milk (the C is for Carnation); but they’ll still add sugar

It’s all quite easy isn’t it?

Watch the video below for a real KOPI master in action.