What are the Flavor Characteristics of Indian Monsooned Coffee? How to Brew Indian Monsoon Malabar for the Best Taste?

The History of Coffee

Coffee becoming the world's number one beverage is a relatively recent phenomenon, occurring only after 1600. Therefore, coffee's recorded history spans merely 400 years, similar to Taiwan's history. It is widely recognized that Africa is coffee's homeland, originating in Ethiopia and spreading worldwide through the port of Mocha in Yemen. However, to prevent other countries from cultivating coffee, Arabs ensured that all exported coffee beans underwent hulling. Nevertheless, a clever plan emerged around 1600 (17th century) when Baba Budan, during a pilgrimage to Mecca, smuggled seven germinable coffee beans back to his home in southwestern India by hiding them in his belly. This event marked the beginning of coffee's global spread, with the southwestern Indian region being today's Malabar area.

The Birth of Monsooned Coffee

Monsooned coffee was unintentionally created as a new flavor variety. From the 17th to 18th centuries, India transported coffee beans to Europe via sailing ships, a journey taking six months. The raw beans, stored in the ship's bottom compartments, absorbed moisture and saltiness from the sea. By the time they reached Europe, the beans had deteriorated, changing color from deep green to the yellowish-brown of rice grains. The fruity acidity of coffee had nearly disappeared, but surprisingly, rich nutty and grainy flavors emerged, creating a full-bodied taste reminiscent of genmaicha (brown rice tea). Scandinavians particularly favored this distinctive golden-hued coffee variety.

In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal combined with the advent of steamships shortened the India-Europe voyage time. However, customers began complaining that Indian coffee had "lost its flavor," missing its characteristic golden color and nutty taste. Orders decreased sharply, prompting Indian exporters to seek solutions. They discovered that the shortened transportation time prevented coffee from properly "maturing and transforming" into its unique flavor profile. Consequently, exporters utilized the saline, humid environment along India's southwestern Malabar coast, where the Indian Ocean brings moist air from late May to September. Through experimentation, they successfully recreated the golden, low-acidity coffee of the past, naming it "Monsoon Coffee," commonly known as monsooned coffee.

Production Process

Today's monsooned coffee production begins with selecting high-quality raw beans and transporting them to coastal monsooning facilities. The beans are spread out to be exposed to the humid southwestern monsoon winds, with experienced workers regularly turning them to ensure even exposure. This process continues for four to sixteen months, during which coffee beans expand to nearly twice their original size and turn yellowish-white, becoming the distinctive Indian Monsooned Malabar.

Monsooned coffee must be made from sun-dried beans. The monsooning facility faces west to capture the salty, humid monsoon winds from the southwest. Coffee beans are spread evenly inside the monsooning area with all windows open. After reaching a certain level of monsooning, the beans are bagged, but the bags cannot be filled too completely, nor can they be stacked too densely to prevent mold growth due to poor air circulation. Workers must periodically empty the beans and replace the jute bags to prevent mold cultivation—a time and labor-intensive process.

The monsooning period lasts approximately twelve to sixteen weeks. After maturation, the beans undergo smoke treatment to eliminate weevils, followed by manual sorting to remove any beans that haven't turned golden yellow. After three to four months of monsooning, green coffee beans expand to one to two times their original size, with reduced weight and density. The moisture content reaches approximately 13%, resulting in significant changes to both quality and quantity.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee suggests the following brewing parameters:

Kalita Wave trapezoidal three-hole dripper, medium-coarse grind, water temperature 86°C, coffee-to-water ratio 1:12, brewing time (starting from bloom): 1'30", then add an additional 30g of water after removing the dripper.

Tasting Notes

This coffee offers rich wheat tea aroma, with distinct chocolate and nutty flavors, and a notably sweet sensation.

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