Lounge Loves: SNAX, ‘Kalari’ and more

Also featured this week, an impressive almond milk cappuccino and a podcast that delves into dark folklore

Published10 Mar 2025, 11:00 AM IST

SNAX, almond milk cappuccino at Ajji House, Kashmiri 'Kalari' cheese and 'Lore' podcast — SNAX, almond milk cappuccino at Ajji House, Kashmiri ’Kalari’ cheese and ’Lore’ podcast

Milk without Milk

Nut milks and non-dairy alternatives are easily available in most cafes, but going off milk in India can still be quite a trial since getting non-fat milks to foam precisely for a cappuccino is a challenge many baristas aren’t up to. Getting the ratio can be a toughie too, especially with almond milk, which tends to separate if added to hot coffee too quickly. I’ve switched to black coffee since cafes in most cities make an abysmal almond milk cappuccino—by just replacing the milk but not really working on technique of warming rather than heating. On a recent Sunday though, at the restored Ajji House by Subko in Bengaluru, I decided to try an almond milk cappuccino and was impressed by how beautifully the barista had crafted it with the perfect foam and creaminess that didn’t overwhelm the taste of the coffee.

—Shalini Umachandran

The Versatile Kalari

Arecent conference in Delhi on the culture of milk had an interesting tasting session. Chris Zandee, a Dutchman settled in Pahalgam, brought with him a selection of cheese made by his venture, Himalayan Cheese, in the Kashmir valley. The highlight among these was the kalari, which is typically made by local pastoralists. The cheese was paired in a myriad ways with seasonal local produce by Dhruv Oberoi, executive chef, Olive Qutub and The Grammar Room. The tasting was significant because the conversation around homegrown artisanal cheese is on a rise yet there is still very little awareness about indigenous cheese such as the kalari. To me, the sheer versatility of the kalari is interesting—it tastes equally good raw, paired with jamun jam, grilled with kulcha or fried with tomatoes.

—Avantika Bhuyan

Also read: ‘Nadaaniyan’ review: The kids never stood a chance

Scare Tactics

Listening to episodes of the award-winning podcast Lore is like huddling under the blanket on a cold night, feeling chills go up your spine as a master raconteur tells ghost stories. In every episode, host Aaron Mahnke tells you a story that originates in folklore but has real-world origins and consequences, usually dark ones. Many of the episodes are related to American traditions but there are exceptions, and often folklore seems to have resonances across cultures, which are fascinating to explore. The very first episode I heard, about the enduring horror that surrounds stories about asylums with terrible goings on (season 1, episode 6, Echoes), was enough to get me hooked. Lore is for lovers of Gothic fiction and anyone who enjoys horror.

—Shrabonti Bagchi

Experimental Beats

Every year since it began in 2023, the Mahindra Percussion Festival has managed to entice me solely with the artists it invites. This year, I discovered SNAX there, a Chennai-based band formed by mridangam player Sumesh Narayanan and drummer Ramkumar Kanakarajan. Performing a set list of compositions from their latest album, Thrillex, they introduced the audience to their experiments of mixing electronica samples with pure beats. Their single Headbang to a Deathband is a must listen. High on tempo, the act was proof that artists who are masters of their craft will always find their audience when they collaborate to create their own kind of music.

—Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran