QUAD talks aside, Japan's Foreign Minister fell for India's gulab jamun and filter coffee
Before leaving India after the QUAD meeting, Japanese minister Toshimitsu Motegi posted about enjoying gulab jamun and filter coffee.
Geopolitical meetings may have brought Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to New Delhi, but it was India’s coffee and desserts that appeared to have left the strongest impression on him.
After wrapping up his schedule for the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Motegi shared a video on X before heading back to Japan, documenting a quieter and far more relatable side of his India visit — sipping South Indian-style filter coffee and trying gulab jamun.
In the video, Motegi reflected on how India is globally associated with chai, but pointed out that the country is also among the world’s top coffee-producing nations.
“When people think of Indian beverages, chai is certainly the first thing that comes to mind,” he said, before adding that coffee, especially in southern India where much of it is cultivated, is deeply embedded in everyday culture.
Describing South Indian-style coffee, Motegi noted how the drink combines a strong, roasted brew with warm milk and sugar, creating a flavour that feels both “robust” and “smooth.”
Taking a sip on camera, he said, “It certainly has a roasted, robust quality to it, but thanks to the milk, it possesses a distinctly smooth and mellow character.”
But it was his reaction to gulab jamun that truly stole the show.
Holding up the syrup-soaked dessert, Motegi described it as a classic Indian sweet “somewhat akin to a doughnut,” adding that he had heard travel magazines refer to it as “the sweetest dessert in the world.”
Moments later, after taking a bite, his expression said it all.
“Oh my — it’s incredibly delicious! Truly fantastic,” he exclaimed, before jokingly admitting that while the dessert was excellent, it was also “undeniably sweet,” prompting him to immediately reach for another sip of coffee.
Motegi’s post quickly sparked reactions online, with many joking that India’s true soft power lies not just in diplomacy, but also in its ability to win hearts through food. And where’s the lie?