2-982-216 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Indian Cook-house - Novel Mode of Straining Coffee, 1858. 'The gentleman to whom we are indebted for the annexed representation of an incident in Indian life, in a letter from Bangalore, dated March 8th, 1858, says: "I inclose a Sketch of a mode, too frequently it is to be feared in use, of preparing one of the Anglo-Indian luxuries. The lady of the house went to the cook-room to ascertain the reason of the coffee being delayed, and found the cook and his wife straining it through one of 'master's socks,' and the cook-room the abode of a family of dirty children, poultry, &c. The following colloquy between a European gentleman and his servant, which I can vouch for, will serve to confirm my notion of a rather general use of the sock in the delicate operation of straining coffee: 'Boy, why doesn't the washerman wash my socks better? Look at this ' (holding up a brown-toed sock). Boy: 'Not washerman, sir; that coffee colour.' Master: 'What, you scoundrel! you strain the coffee through a sock?' Boy: 'I never take master's clean sock. When master been wear it, I take for strain coffee.' Which makes 'master' feel as if suddenly sent to sea. This is no myth".' From "Illustrated London News", 1858.