As children, we were told “coffee is for grown ups”. That was all well and good, but that dictum apparently didn’t hold good when we were visiting our grandparents.
A typical breakfast of akki otti, ellu pajji and kumbala curry was always rounded off with freshly brewed coffee. No one seemed to be particularly concerned if children were allowed any or not. When large pots of coffee were brought to the table at the end of the meal, naturally we helped ourselves. Perhaps it made a difference that there was plenty of room outdoors for us to burn off any caffeine driven bursts of energy.