Is Robusta Coffee Mainly Distributed in Asia? Is Indian Coffee Primarily Robusta?

When discussing Asian coffee, people often mention Indonesia's Mandheling, Vietnamese coffee, Laotian coffee, and Yunnan coffee. However, Indian coffee is rarely mentioned, despite its remarkably long history. India was actually the first country in Asia to cultivate coffee, and it has always held a significant place in the coffee world, ranking among the world's major coffee-producing nations. Today, FrontStreet Coffee would like to introduce you to India, a country famous for its curry, tea, and of course, coffee.

Historical Origins

In early India, Arabs maintained a monopoly on coffee. In the mid-17th century, an Indian Sufi saint named Baba Budan traveled to Mecca for pilgrimage. He discovered coffee at the port of Mocha in Yemen and smuggled seven coffee seeds back to his homeland by concealing them. He planted these seeds in the Chickmagalur mountains of southern India. To commemorate this figure, Indians renamed the Chickmagalur mountains as Baba Budan Hills. Today, Chickmagalur remains one of India's most important coffee-growing regions. In 1696, Indian coffee was further transplanted to Java, Indonesia for cultivation, demonstrating that India has been cultivating coffee since very early times.

Production Status

You might be surprised to learn that India produces much more coffee than Ethiopia and any Central American country combined—with 900,000 hectares of land dedicated to coffee cultivation. India has approximately 140,000 coffee farms, over 90% of which are smaller than 10 hectares, representing small-scale cultivation. These farms are distributed across the southern and eastern coastal mountain ranges, with an annual output of about 440,000-450,000 bags, making India the world's fifth-largest coffee producer. Nearly 80% of the nation's coffee production is exported to countries including Germany, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, the United States, Japan, Greece, the Netherlands, France, and Italy, with most exported coffee beans transported through the Suez Canal.

Coffee Growing Regions

Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu are India's main coffee-producing regions, accounting for over 90% of the country's total coffee production. Today, two-thirds of Indian coffee is Robusta, with Arabica comprising only one-third. Coffee is primarily distributed in the southwestern state of Karnataka, where both varieties are grown, accounting for 50% of India's total coffee production. The southern state of Kerala focuses mainly on Robusta, contributing 30% of total production. The southeastern state of Tamil Nadu cultivates both varieties, accounting for 10% of India's total coffee production. The remaining 10% is scattered across emerging northern growing regions.

Cultivated Varieties

Kent

Discovered in 1911 at a Kent coffee plantation in the Mysore region of India, this is a Typica hybrid variety created by crossing S288 with Typica. It is characterized by high yield and rust resistance. The coffee aroma has more body than Bourbon varieties and has been introduced to New World producing countries like Kenya and Indonesia, making significant contributions.

S795 (Local Name: Jember)

This variety was developed in the 1940s by crossing Kent (a Typica selection known for being tall, high-yielding, and highly resistant to leaf rust) with Liberica coffee. In 1955, the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI) named it Jember, and it is now widely cultivated in India, Indonesia, and Ethiopia. This variety shows some resistance to coffee leaf rust, though this resistance decreases over time. It features flavors reminiscent of maple syrup or brown sugar. S795 is currently India's main variety, accounting for 70% of total Arabica production.

S274

India's most famous small-seeded Robusta, marketed in the market as Royal Robusta (Robusta Kappi Royal), is considered the world's most premium Robusta bean. This Kappi Royal variety features 16/17 screen size, clean surface, hard beans, and a plump, attractive appearance. Compared to regular natural-processed Robusta beans, Kaapi Royal lacks any harsh astringency, earthy flavors, or even rubbery notes. Some say it has the flavor of Japanese genmaicha (brown rice tea), with reports suggesting that when consumed alone, it doesn't taste much like typical coffee but has strong tea-like qualities and high viscosity.

Sln C×R

This is India's newest espresso blend variety, breaking away from the Arabica-Robusta hybrid tradition. Instead, it's a cross between Congensis and Robusta (Congensis×Robusta). This coffee has now entered the American specialty coffee market, processed using natural methods. It exhibits Indian spice flavors with subtle fruity acidity, reportedly offering a unique tasting experience. Sln C×R is poised to become a strong competitor to Monsooned Malabar and Royal Robusta.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473