History of Coffee in India - A Complete Guide

The history of coffee in India is rich and special, an expedition that extends to centuries and is associated with the country’s cultural, economic, and agricultural tapestry.

Unlike in the case of tea, which was introduced to us by the Britishers, coffee has a much more natural origin in India, which involves many interesting legends, colonial enterprise, and the development of a booming industry.

Here we will talk about the history of coffee in India, and how coffee became an essential part of India's social structure and economic landscape.

Introduction to coffee’s origins in India (Baba Budan’s story)

The tale of how coffee came to India started in the 17th century, a revered Sufi saint named Baba Budan is believed to have played an important role in introducing coffee to India and was named as someone who invented coffee in India, While on a pilgrimage trip to Mecca, Baba Budan came in touch with the coffee culture of the Arabian Peninsula, where coffee was quite a famous drink.

During that time, the Arabs had firm control over coffee cultivation, making sure that no productive coffee beans left the region so that they could maintain their monopoly.

However, Baba Budan was able to smuggle seven coffee beans (a symbolic number in Islamic tradition) from Yemen’s port of Mocha, to take to India.

He sowed these beans in the hills near his hideout in Chikmagalur, Karnataka, a region that is now known for its coffee cultivation. This marked the start of the coffee farming era in India.

To this day, the Baba Budan Giri hills in Karnataka are regarded as the birthplace of coffee cultivation in India, and Baba Budan is considered the father of Indian coffee.

History of Coffee in India: Colonial Influence and the Growth of Coffee Plantations

While coffee had been growing in India since the  Baba Budan period, it was in the 19th century that the cultivation of coffee began to bloom on a commercial scale with the arrival of the Britishers.

The British East India Company recognized the fertile soil and favorable climate of the South India region, especially the hills of the Western Ghats, as a perfect place for coffee farming.

The British built the first organized coffee plantations in the regions of  Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Between the 1820s and 1830s Indian coffee cultivation went through a significant change and became a major industry with the help of British planters who with the help use of European agricultural strategies changed the outlook of the Indian coffee cultivation industry.

These plantations were situated in regions like Coorg (Kodagu), the Nilgiri Hills, and Wayanad which became the backbone of Indian coffee production.

The setting up of these coffee plantations leads to the rapid growth of infrastructure in these regions. To transport the coffee to different areas of the world, especially Europe, Railways, roads, and ports were developed.

Indian coffee became massively famous in Britain and other European markets due to its unique flavor profile, making it an important colonial commodity.

Post-independence coffee culture in India

The history of coffee in India and the outlook of the coffee industry began to change after India gained independence in 1947.

The government realized the value of coffee as both a cultural commodity and a source of livelihood for thousands of people.

One of the crucial shifts after independence was the increase in the domestic usage of coffee. Earlier, the bulk of India’s coffee was exported, but after the -independence, coffee culture began to establish itself among the local population, especially in the southern states.

Filter coffee, brewed with chicory, became a well-liked household beverage, especially in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.

The Indian Coffee House chain which was initially established in the British era, developed and became a prominent cultural institution, promoting intellectual debate and acting as a meeting point for many artists, and activists.

Unique varieties of Indian coffee

India is known for cultivating two main types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. The difference between the two mainly lies in their taste, growing conditions, and economic significance.

• Arabica:  Known for its smoother and much more delicate flavor, Arabica coffee is generally grown at regions of higher altitudes. Arabica coffee beans are much more vulnerable to pests and other diseases, making them a high-risk crop to grow.
• Robusta: On the other hand, robusta coffee is strong and can be grown at regions of lower altitudes. It has a stronger and more bitter flavor profile, often used in espresso blends and instant coffee powders. India is one of the topmost producers of Robusta in the world.

India’s coffee plantations are special in a way that they are usually shade-grown, a method where you grow the coffee plants under the canopy of the tree.

This not only increases the flavor profile of the coffee but also helps in preventing any kind of soil erosion.

Indian coffee is also recognized for being intercropped with various kinds of spices such as cardamom, pepper, and vanilla which add a unique flavor to the coffee beans.

Coffee from regions like Coorg, Chikmagalur, and the Nilgiris is rated highly for its mild acid amount, rich flavor, and fine undertones of spices and fruit.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the history of coffee in India is a complex story of coffee that started as early as the 17th century with the legendary story of Baba Budan.

Indian coffee started small but expanded during the colonial period mainly due to the impacts of the British in creating markets for the commercialization of the crop.

After independence, the change in the process of developing coffee in India and the coffee history in India started taking a new turn, where emphasis on drinking coffee as a cultural beverage was seen.

The arrival of filter coffee, especially in the southern regions of the country, and the establishment of the Indian Coffee House chain altered the current style of coffee culture.

The two types of coffee Arabica and Robusta produced under India’s specialty and shade-grown plantation further enrich the Indian coffee culture and make Indian coffee world-renowned for taste and certifications.

Also in Blog