Major Growing Regions and Flavor Characteristics of Indian Coffee - What Are the Best Indian Coffee Brands

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Indian Coffee Growing Regions:

Large quantities of coffee are grown in the Western Ghats region of India, where the southwest monsoon is crucial for coffee growth. Besides Karnataka state, premium coffee is also cultivated in Tellichery and Malabar in the southwestern state of Kerala, as well as in Nilgiris in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras Province).

India has both plateaus and plains, with plateaus mainly in the central region and plains along the eastern and western coasts. The soil, water, and climate are highly suitable for coffee cultivation, and many coffee varieties can be grown, primarily Arabica. Robusta was introduced in the late 19th century and also accounts for a significant proportion. Monsooned coffee comes from the southern Karnataka region represented by Mysore and the Tamil Nadu region represented by Madras.

Premium Indian coffee is also classified as Arabica plantation coffee, with the highest grades being A, B, C, and T grades. "Monsooned" coffee is divided into premium Monsooned Malabar AA grade coffee and Monsooned Basanically coffee. India also produces some berry-shaped coffee. October to February of the following year is the ideal season for producing "monsooned" coffee. June to September is the coffee bean harvest period, while December to February of the following year is the season for processing Indian specialty coffee.

Characteristics of Indian Coffee:

Monsooned coffee is India's most representative coffee variety. In fact, India was the first country in Asia to cultivate coffee. The cultivation of coffee in India originated from their colonizers - the British. As early as the 17th and early 18th centuries, British people preferred coffee over tea, which they favor today. The Indian coffee industry grew rapidly under the demand and promotion of the British.

Strictly speaking, monsooned coffee cannot be classified as a coffee variety but rather as a unique processing method for raw coffee beans, accidentally creating a new flavor. From the 17th to 18th centuries, India transported coffee beans to Europe by sailing ship, a journey that took six months. Raw beans were stored in the bottom of the ship's cabin, absorbing moisture and saltiness from the sea surface. By the time the raw beans arrived in Europe, they had already deteriorated, changing color from deep green to the yellow-brown of rice grains. The fruity acidity of the coffee almost disappeared, but surprisingly developed strong nutty and grainy flavors. When tasted, it had a rich texture with a bit of genmaicha (brown rice tea) flavor. Unexpectedly, Northern Europeans particularly liked this golden alternative coffee.

Monsooned coffee requires the use of sun-dried beans. The storage facility faces west, with coffee beans spread evenly inside. All windows are opened to welcome the salty and humid monsoon winds blowing from the southwest. After reaching a certain degree, they are placed in bags, but the coffee beans cannot be filled too full, and the coffee bags cannot be stacked too densely to avoid mold growth due to poor ventilation. The coffee beans must also be periodically poured out and the burlap bags changed to prevent mold growth, which is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive. This process takes about twelve to sixteen weeks. After maturation, the beans must also undergo smoking treatment to drive away weevils. Finally, manual sorting is required to remove failed beans that haven't turned golden yellow.

After at least 6 months to a year of monsoon exposure, the quality and quantity of the beans undergo significant changes. The volume of coffee beans expands one to two times, while weight and density decrease, with a moisture content of about 13%.

When steamships shortened travel time, coffee producers discovered that consumers still wanted coffee beans with the original color and flavor that were affected by long-distance travel. To recreate the original coffee flavor, the "monsooning" process was adopted.

Flavor: Smooth and delicious, rich, with spicy notes, full-bodied beans.

FrontStreet Coffee recommends roasting method: Medium-dark roast

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing Method:

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a Kalita three-hole filter cup or a Kono filter cup for brewing! Since Malabar coffee mostly has a "devilish aftertaste," FrontStreet Coffee suggests using a small coffee-to-water ratio for extraction, then adding a certain proportion of water.

Parameters: Grind size BG 5R (China standard 58% pass rate through No. 20 sieve), coffee-to-water ratio 1:13, water temperature 85°C, extraction time 1 minute 30 seconds.

Technique: Use 15g of coffee powder, with a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:10 during brewing. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. When slowly pouring water to 120g, perform segmentation. End when pouring water to 150g. After removing the filter cup, pour 45g of water into the coffee liquid.

Flavor: The entrance has a light plum acidity, with flavors of cocoa, nuts, and cream. The finish has a distinct wheat tea and genmaicha tea-like sensation.

★★: Good

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse varieties of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online shop services at https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473