On International Coffee Day today, actor and self-confessed coffee fiend Shalini Pandey sits down with us for a cuppa and tells us all about her love for the drink.

“I am not a chai person, coffee has always been my comfort beverage,” Pandey tells us, adding, “I have been a coffee person for as long as I can remember. I keep having phases with coffee — right now I’ve been having coffee and cinnamon. I love going on coffee dates with a side of croissants.”

While she likes her coffee “hot and strong,” the actor, who was recently seen in the film Maharaj, shares that her coffee preference depends on “the day and my mood.” “I am someone who only drinks black coffee; I don’t take my coffee with milk since I enjoy the enriching flavour of coffee by itself. But, there are rare occasions when I’m craving something sweet that I’ll have a cappuccino, a Vietnamese-style coffee, or a mocha,” the 31-year-old elaborates.

Also Read: Shalini Pandey on the controversy around Junaid Khan’s Maharaj: We didn’t do anything to disrespect any religion

Pandey, who is very particular about the way she makes her coffee, reveals that getting fresh coffee beans and grinding them has become a ritual that she starts her day with.

“When I wake up in the morning, I grind the beans and brew coffee in my moka pot — this has been my personal tradition for a long time now.”

Being an avid coffee drinker for years, Pandey muses that her relationship with her favourite beverage has changed over time. “I am genuinely fond of coffee. Over time, you discover your coffee preferences and develop your own taste for it. Now, I have become more particular. I mostly make my own coffee. If I am travelling somewhere, I take my moka pot and coffee beans along. That has been my thing with coffee,” she shares.

In fact, she adds that all her friends are aware of that she takes her brews in a specific way. “There are certain notes in my coffee that I like, especially dark, smooth and nutty or chocolaty notes. Since I carry coffee beans with me while travelling, my friends keep gifting me the kinds of coffee beans that I like!” she wraps up.