Nav: Home > Coffee >

What Arabica Coffees Exist in India - Characteristics of Indian-Grown Arabica 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) FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Indian Coffee Arabica coffee from India is quite rare, typically with only two varieties: Monsooned Malabar and Mysore Nuggets. Monsooned Malabar raw beans are very dry and yellow in color, with a sweet but somewhat monotonous flavor profile, as they are placed in ventilated warehouses to allow the Indian Ocean

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Indian Coffee

Arabica coffee from India is rare, typically available in only two varieties: Monsooned Malabar and Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold. The raw beans of Monsooned Malabar are dry and yellow in color, with a sweet but somewhat monotonous flavor profile. This is because they are placed in ventilated warehouses to be caressed by the Indian Ocean monsoon winds for several seasons before shipment, resulting in no acidity but somewhat insufficient flavor. Mysore, however, consists of fresh green raw beans with richer flavors, carrying woody and grassy aromas, high body with low acidity, and a sweet taste. Friends who don't prefer acidic coffee should enjoy this particular bean.

Mysore is a gold mining region in India that also produces abundant coffee beans. Specially selected high-quality washed coffee beans reaching 18 mesh size are called Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold (translated as Mysore Gold Bricks or Mysore Gold Nuggets), with the acronym MNEB representing the highest grade of Arabica coffee in India.

Coffee Details

Region: Mysore, India

Altitude: 1350m

Processing: Washed, Sun-dried

Monsooned Malabar

The most interesting Arabica coffee from India in terms of name and flavor is the unwashed "Monsooned Malabar." During the age of sailing, ships had to sail for several months to reach Europe. Because coffee beans were exposed to sea winds and humidity during the voyage, they developed a special texture. The color also changed from green to a peculiar yellow, but Europeans fell in love with this peculiar and rich flavor. When steamships shortened the voyage time, Indians began exposing coffee to the humid southwestern monsoon winds starting in May or June for 5-6 weeks to "recreate" this flavor.

This coffee has quite a strong and stimulating taste, mixed with special caramel flavors; it's not very suitable for those who prefer "refreshing textures" or sweet coffee. If roasted longer and left to rest for more than three days, Malabar can also be used to brew espresso blends. Some companies use this coffee bean combined with two or three other Arabica beans to create "exotic flavored" espresso blends, enhancing the coffee's body and adding some sweetness. Importantly, freshly roasted coffee beans should rest for two days - whether brewed using siphon or drip methods, this will make the coffee taste better.

If we were to classify by taste, just as durian is the king of fruits, then I believe Indian Monsooned Malabar is the king of coffees!

About FrontStreet Coffee

In summary: FrontStreet Coffee is a dedicated coffee research hall, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee, and we hold three discount coffee events every month. This is because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices - this has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!