page_title: Kopi (drink)
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Kopi (drink) / Etymology
caption_attribution_description: English: Toast, eggs and coffee served at Ya Kun Koya Toast
context_page_description: Kopi is a type of traditional coffee local to Singapore and Malaysia. It is a highly caffeinated black coffee served with milk and sugar. This drink originates from Peninsular Malaysia, with Hainanese roots. It is also otherwise known as Nanyang coffee. Nanyang means ‘South Sea’ in Mandarin, and usually references to Southeast Asia. The Singapore coffee is recognized to be culturally significant and part of the everyday diet and lifestyle of many Singaporeans. It is habitual for Singaporeans of all ethnicities and ages to customize their Kopi using the Hokkien dialect. The coffee is also popular in Malaysia. The Singapore coffee is distinct from other types of coffee due to its roasting process and preparation technique involving a variation of the Torrefacto method. It is usually served in coffee shops, hawker centers and kopitiams. There are also many commercial brands that have emerged specializing in serving the traditional coffee with pairings of local fare such as kaya toast and laksa.
context_section_description: Local Kopi vocabulary governs the way consumers order their preferred style of Kopi in Malaysia and Singapore. The local Kopi vocabulary is grounded in Hokkien dialect. This transcendence of Hokkien dialect into the Kopi culture can be linked to the prominence of Hokkien immigrants in Malaya and Colonial Singapore. 
  According to the history of Chinese immigration, millions of China residents left due to natural calamities and political instability during the 19ᵗʰ Century. In the beginning, 50,000 Chinese landed in Singapore – many of them Chinese traders. This number grew to 200,000 in 1900 as more passed through the Malay States and Dutch East Indies into Singapore. Amongst the arrivals, the Hokkiens made up the largest proportion of Chinese dialect groups in Singapore. Thus, they also came to possess a dominant share of the banking, manufacturing and trade industries. 
  Variations in style of Singapore’s traditional coffee revolve around denseness, sugar level, and additions of evaporated milk, condensed milk or ice. The terms used to order these variations, along with their respective meanings, can be found below.
  Kopi: Coffee with sugar and condensed milk
  Kopi-O: Coffee with sugar
  Kopi-O-Kosong: Coffee without sugar and evaporated milk
  Kopi-C: Coffee with sugar and evaporated milk
  Kopi-Peng: Iced coffee with sugar and condensed milk
  Kopi-Siew-Dai: Coffee with less sugar and condensed milk
  Kopi-Siew-Siew-Dai: Coffee with little sugar and condensed milk
  Kopi-Ga-Dai: Coffee with extra sugar and condensed milk
  Kopi-Gao: Coffee with sugar, condensed milk and extra thick concentrated coffee
  Kopi-Di-Lo: Coffee with no dilution   
  Kopi-Poh: Coffee with extra dilution   
  In addition to local variations, there are also diverse overseas combinations and variations of Kopi. This includes Yuenyeung or Kopi Cham which is a mixture of coffee and tea popular in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Kopi is also otherwise known as Nanyang coffee. Nanyang means ‘South Sea’ in Mandarin, and usually references to Southeast Asia.
caption: Kopi (pictured in the background, or Kopi O (pictured in the foreground), paired with kaya toast is a popular breakfast option in Singapore.
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