Coffee culture

What is Indian Monsoon Coffee? What are the Flavor Characteristics of Indian Monsooned Malabar Coffee?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information Please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account cafe_style) It is said that a long, long time ago, during the process of shipping raw coffee beans from India to Europe, the raw beans were affected by the high temperature and humidity of the Indian Ocean, causing changes - this is the origin of "monsooning." Besides becoming larger in volume, the color of the monsooned raw beans also changes from emerald

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style)

The Origin of Monsooned Coffee

Legend has it that long, long ago, when raw coffee beans were shipped from India to Europe, the beans underwent changes due to the high temperatures and humidity of the Indian Ocean. This is the origin of "monsooning." After monsooning, the raw beans not only increased in volume but also changed from emerald green to golden yellow. The brewed coffee is said to have a mellow taste with a very unique flavor, becoming a characteristic of Indian Malabar coffee.

Later, "monsooning" became a special processing method for coffee beans.

The Monsooning Process

Each year during May and June, the southwestern region of India experiences the monsoon phenomenon. Therefore, after coffee beans are harvested, they are specially placed in the humid southwestern monsoon winds for "monsooning." The moisture from the Indian Ocean and hot weather are used to monsoon the coffee beans. After 4-16 months of monsoon exposure, the coffee beans expand and become larger, and their color gradually changes from green to golden yellow. Remarkably, the acidity of the beans is also reduced. This is Monsooned Malabar, also known as Monsoon Malabar.

Legend has it that long, long ago, when raw coffee beans were shipped from India to Europe, the beans underwent changes due to the high temperatures and humidity of the Indian Ocean. This is the origin of "monsooning." After monsooning, the raw beans not only increased in volume but also changed from emerald green to golden yellow. The brewed coffee is said to have a mellow taste with a very unique flavor, becoming a characteristic of Indian Malabar coffee.

Later, "monsooning" became a special processing method for coffee beans.

Monsooned coffee must be made from sun-dried beans. All processing facilities for monsooned coffee face west to receive the salty, humid monsoon winds blowing from the southwest sea. The coffee beans are spread flat in the monsooning yard with all windows open. After monsooning to a certain degree, they are then bagged. However, because the beans expand significantly during the process, the coffee bags cannot be filled too full, and the coffee bags cannot be stacked too densely to avoid mold and spoilage due to poor ventilation. The beans must also be periodically poured out and the jute bags changed to prevent mold growth, making it quite a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. The monsooning period is about 12 to 16 weeks. After maturation, the beans undergo smoking treatment to drive away weevils. Finally, they are manually sorted to remove any failed beans that haven't turned golden yellow. After 3 to 4 months of monsooning treatment, the volume of green coffee beans expands by one to two times, while their weight and density decrease.

Although monsooned Malabar coffee beans appear large and plump, they are actually soft beans that are strong on the outside but weak on the inside. This change occurs due to months of weathering. Long-term exposure to humid monsoon winds for weeks not only turns the beans yellow but also significantly reduces the coffee's natural acidity, resulting in a very special taste. In addition to being consumed as single-origin coffee, Indian Malabar coffee beans are also very suitable for blending into coffee blends.

Product Profile

Product Name: India Monsooned Malabar AA+

Country of Origin: India

Region: Malabar

Grade: Malabar AA+

Processing Method: Sun-dried then monsooned

Variety: Arabica

Flavor Profile

Wheat, straw, roasted nuts, walnut woodiness, Southeast Asian spices, black molasses, oily and viscous mouthfeel

Brewing Parameters Recommended by FrontStreet Coffee:

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

It has a rich wheat tea aroma, with distinct chocolate and nut flavors, and a relatively sweet taste.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473

0