Do you think of what degree it is being roasted or which variety it is? Or you just enjoy sipping it and let your palette feel the caffeine. Coffee lovers in India are rare and unaware of coffee sources in India as we are dominated by another sibling “Tea”.
Anyway, today I will try to go deep into the Indian coffee history and figure out how it started in the southern states of India and will try to discover different types of coffee beans & roasting techniques. But, before that, we should remember that Coffee is not just a drink. It is a 100-billion-dollar industry!
Where in India is Coffee Grown?
Where to find the best coffee sources in India? I started my journey from Bangalore to Chikmagalur (where it all started). I am pretty sure most of you are well aware of the story of Baba Budan bringing 7 coffee seeds from Arab and how he planted them in the soil of the Chikmagalur district of Karnataka.
This is where it all began and now in Karnataka accounting for 71% (Kodagu alone produces 33% of India’s coffee), followed by Kerala with 21% and Tamil Nadu (5% of overall production with 8,200 tonnes) [sourced from Wikipedia].
Here are the few places, districts, or regions where basically coffee grows and side by side they grew tourism to ensure the knowledge distribution to the travelers about coffee. Chikmagalur, Coorg, Bibi Kandera, Valparai and Aanamalais, The Nilgiris, Travancore hills, Elaveezha pooza, Cardamom hills, Munnar and Peermede.
There are various Coffee beans and their blends available in India. So which one will you pick? I would suggest a few roasts which I already tried and will list them according to my taste palate. Actually, The two coffee giants are Arabica & Robusta which are dominating Indian coffee roasts.
My choice of coffee will be Blue Tokai Coffee Vienna Roast – Dark Roast which is freshly roasted ground coffee (Arabica). The second one surprisingly will be coffee from the Kerala coast – Continental Malgudi Malabar 100% Pure Roast & Ground Filter Coffee. The third one will be a blend of Arabica and Robusta without any chicory – SLAY Coffee Madras Mud 100% Pure South Indian Filter Coffee.
Takeaways on Sources of Indian Coffee
You should try to find out more about the coffee you drink. India is blessed with a unique geographical location, perfect soil and climate that enables coffee cultivation, and one of the finest quality coffee beans.
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