History Of Coffee

The history

I wake, you wake, we all wake to a coffee (also by a coffee). This has been a tradition and ritual in every south Indian household since the British started cultivating coffee in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in early 1800’s. 

But how did coffee come from Yemen to India?

The 400-Year Evolution of Indian Coffee:

The story of coffee in India began not with a trade deal, but with seven smuggled seeds. In 1670, the pilgrim Baba Budan bypassed strict Yemeni export laws—which made transporting fertile green beans illegal—to bring coffee to the Indian subcontinent. By hiding seven raw seeds in his beard, he successfully broke the Arabian monopoly and introduced the crop to the Chandragiri Highlands of Chikmagalur.

What started as a backyard curiosity in the hills of Karnataka eventually blossomed into a massive commercial industry. Today, the lineage of those original "Seven Seeds" continues to define India's unique position in the specialty coffee world. This region in Karnataka remains the heart of production, proving that a global industry can indeed grow from a single, daring journey.

While coffee plant existed in India as early as 1600, it is during the British Raj the crop was transformed into massive industry designed for export. They didn’t just grow the beans; they turned a local habit into a global commodity.

The world’s coffee belt spans the globe along the equator, with cultivation in North, Central, and South America; the Caribbean; Africa; the Middle East; and Asia. Brazil is now the world’s largest coffee-producing country, followed by Vietnam and India ranking seventh. Whereas in India many other states have started growing 

coffee. Traditional coffee producing states are Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Non-traditional (new) Coffee growing states are Eastern Ghats, such as Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.

 The variety

The coffee tree belongs to the Rubiaceae family, genus Coffea. Although more than 80 species of coffee have been identified worldwide, only two are economically important. Coffea Arabica, also known as Arabica coffee, is responsible for about 70% of the world coffee market, and Coffea Canephora or Robusta coffee represents the rest. 

Arabica: A Symphony of altitude and origin

Named for its historic transit through the ancient ports of Yemen before reaching Indian soil, Arabica represents the pinnacle of coffee refinement. Often referred to as the "Highland Jewel," this self-pollinating botanical thrives exclusively at high altitudes between 1,000m and 1,500m, where the cool mountain air facilitates a slow, purposeful maturation. Unlike mass-produced sun-grown coffee, Indian Arabica is nurtured under a lush two-tier shade canopy. This protective environment allows the beans to develop a higher density of natural sugars and nearly 60% more lipids than other varieties, resulting in a cup that favours complex flavour over raw intensity. With a gentle caffeine content of 1.2% to 1.5%, Arabica is prized for its smooth, non-bitter profile, offering a sophisticated palate of caramel, vanilla, and red berries. When you sip a high-quality Indian Arabica, you are experiencing a legacy of Bourbon and Typica genetics, characterized by a clean, honey-like finish that lingers long after the first sip—a true testament to the slow-ripened, forest-grown heritage of the Western Ghats.

Robusta: The Bold Powerhouse of Indian Coffee

While Arabica is the delicate "Highland Jewel," Robusta (Coffea canephora) is the resilient warrior of the coffee world. Indigenous to the lowlands of sub-Saharan Africa, Robusta arrived in India in the late 19th century and found its perfect home in the humid, lower elevations of the Malabar Coast and Nilgiris. Living up to its name, the plant is incredibly "robust," possessing a natural resistance to pests and diseases thanks to its high caffeine content—nearly double that of Arabica (2.2% to 2.7%). This extra caffeine acts as a natural defence for the plant and provides the famous "punch" and "kick" that espresso lovers crave. Unlike Arabica’s self-pollinating nature, Robusta is cross-pollinated, leading to a genetically diverse and hardy crop.

In the world of specialty coffee, high-quality Indian Washed Robusta is globally renowned for its unique profile. It offers a full-bodied, syrupy mouthfeel with distinct notes of dark chocolate, toasted nuts, and a pleasant woodiness. Because it contains less sugar and fewer lipids than Arabica, it produces a thicker, more stable crema, making it an essential component for any authentic Italian-style espresso blend. Grown under the same legendary Indian shade canopies, our Robusta undergoes a slow maturation that rounds off its natural