How India's coffee culture is evolving to suit diverse palates

The humble filter coffee or kaapi was recently adjudged the second best brew by TasteAtlas an online travel guide Positioned between Greecersquos Espresso Freddo and Cubarsquos Cafeacute Cubano this beloved South Indian coffee is brewed through a twochambered filter the upper chamber holds finely ground coffee the lower chamber catches the steadily dripping rich brew No electricity needed just the natural pull of gravity The result is a robust fullbodied coffee often combined with milk and sugar served traditionally in a tumbler and saucer davara To achieve its signature froth the mixture of coffee and milk is poured back and forth between vessels aerating itWhile chicory a root was initially added to stretch coffee supplies it became an essential part of the flavour profile lending a woody caramel note that set filter coffee apart from intense espressostyle brewsFreshly roasted coffee beans unlock a symphony of flavours through the Maillard reaction releasing over 800 flavour moleculesmdashfrom nutty pyrazines to fruity aldehydes and rich caramellike ketones Unlike modern brewing techniques such as pourovers the filter method preserves these complex flavours and oils to present an unmatched depth of tasteNandan Coffeersquos new flagship outlet isnrsquot just a cafeacute but an experience centre that celebrates three generations of the brandrsquos coffeebrewing heritage sustainable farming and artisanal craftsmanship sourced from their estate in KodaikanalTraditional filter coffee reigns are deeply embedded in southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka Instant coffee is prized for convenience and the fastpaced urban lifestyle in the northern states According to the Coffee Consumption Trends in India report Indiarsquos coffee consumption reached 91000 tonnes of green bean equivalent GBE in 2023 up from 84000 tonnes in 2012 This was driven by increased home use rising instant coffee popularity and a boom in cafeacute culture Analysts predict a boom in demand will double by 2027 spurred by evolving consumer tastes and lifestyle shiftsCafe menus have gone beyond cappuccionos and lattes with options like peach coffee spritzers right Turkish coffee brewed on hot sand at Bombay Island CoffeeThe nationrsquos coffee history runs deepmdashthe beverage arrived long before tea Tea gained widespread popularity when the colonising British sought to reduce their reliance on tea imports from China Them trading opium for the leaf was pivotal in tearsquos dominance over the Indian marketBinny Varghese fondly called Barista on a Bike and founder of Barista Training Academy in New Delhi highlights an intriguing paradox ldquoIndia produces some of the best teas in the world yet most of the premium varieties are exportedrdquo This stems from the development of the industry under colonial rule which prioritised mass production over quality Tea dustmdashsmall broken bits of tea leaves mixed with milk and sugarmdashbecoming the ubiquitous chai served at railway stations Highquality teas such as those from Assam were exportedYahvi Mariwala with her parents Farida and Shyam PicAnurag AhireA similar trajectory can be traced for coffee By the early 20th century largescale coffee bean cultivation flourished in Coorg and Chikkamagaluru driven by the Brahmin community which championed filter coffee as a cultural stapleUntil 1992 coffee was a centralised commodity with limited access Plantation workers often collected leftover coffee beansmdashdiscarded seeds and skinsmdashand roasted them at home using ghee to enhance the flavour Cardamom and cloves created a unique regional twist in regions like Kerala and Karnataka This grassroots approach gradually laid the groundwork for Indiarsquos burgeoning coffee cultureCoffee farmers in Nagaland many new to coffee cultivation are learning experimental techniques such as anaerobic and carbonic macerationThe rise of chains such as Barista and Starbucks and homegrown specialty brands such as Blue Tokai Nandan Coffee and Bombay Island among others have popularised espressobased drinks in urban centres attracting younger affluent audiences From coffee tours to sampling sessions to making your own brew while offering product innovation brands are crafting experiences to make coffee a cool drinkRupal Jain Founder Bombay Island Coffee says ldquoIndiarsquos coffee culture is on the cusp of transformation following the path of other nations where economic growth has shifted preferences from tea to coffee As disposable incomes rise coffee is becoming a lifestyle choice influenced by the appeal of cafeacute cultureUnlike tea which remains a domestic tradition coffee is associated with socialising relaxation and modernity Coffee is an aspirational symbol in urban spaces reflecting a broader societal shift towards premium experiencedriven consumption Tea remains a quiet homebased ritualrdquoPranathi Shettyrsquos Kollibyle Estate in the Western Ghats is entirely run by womenThis trend is expected to intensify as India moves closer to becoming a developed economy South Korea Singapore and China once known for their teadrinking cultures have all undergone similar transitions with coffee emerging as the drink of everyday life and a symbol of affluence ldquoIn South Koreardquo Jain notes ldquoStarbucks has the secondhighest footfall of any location globallyrdquoCoffee entrepreneurs have noticed an untapped potential in the Indian marketmdashwhere the typical coffee is overroasted or lacks the subtle sweetness of specialty ones Jain admits ldquoInspired by trends set by Blue Tokai and KC Roasters wersquove developed a deeper understanding of roasting to bring out the natural sugars in coffee beans which can add layers of flavour and reduce the need for added sweetnessrdquoCoffee grower at Kigwema village Kohima NagalandHer entrepreneurial journey alongside husband Vineeth is rooted in a desire to reshape the Indian coffee landscape With a background in finance in 2016 the founders delved into learning everything about coffee from farming to brewing with local and international training Their insights led to the realisation that India has the potential to produce exceptional coffee but the local market was missing quality beans This gap led to investing in a roastery right inside their cafe in VikhroliOn soil more farmers are becoming conscious of how beans are grown and processed New techniques such as fermentation and whiskey barrel ageing are enlisted developing unique flavour profiles that were previously exported Coffeegrowing regions are beginning to offer more specialised beans for a refined global palate Bean prices are at an alltime high with Robusta in particular reaching a record high of Rs 4 lakh metric tonne on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe marketPranithi Shetty Rupal Jain and Lichan HumtsoeHowever climate change and unpredictable weather impact production especially for the Arabica variant of coffee which has seen significantly lower yields this season In contrast Robusta has fared better due to improved irrigation practices says Pranathi Shetty who left her corporate job in Mumbai to run her familyrsquos Kollibyle Estate a womenrun coffee venture in Mudigere Karnataka For over 70 years the estate has focused on sustainability While coffee cultivation remains largely manual recent innovations in postharvest processes like colour sorting and new machinery are being introduced The terrain of regions like Chikkamagaluru limits automation but estate management tools such as operational apps streamline daytoday tasksShetty says ldquoClimate change is driving experimentation in previously unsuitable areas for coffee cultivation such as the Northeast of India While this presents new opportunities it doesnrsquot threaten traditional regions such as Chikkamagaluru where local consumption steadily increasesrdquoRajasthan has an emerging coffee culture boosted by foreign tourists ldquoJaipur was one of the first cities to house a roaster inside a cafeacute back in 2014 or 2015 when Neeraj Sheoran founder of Curious Life Coffee Roasters pioneered thisrdquo says Varghese ldquoThey have two large stores today and initially attracted many foreigners who stayed in Rajasthan for longer periods Now new modern cafeacutes open every monthrdquoSome cafes also offer international coffees which bear high import taxes ldquoTherersquos a hefty 105 to 110 per cent tax on imported green coffeerdquo says Verghese ldquoTherersquos an extensive coffee scene across the capital and the NCR region Competition is fierce and the price coffee rises as new players enter the market Punjab too has a vibrant coffee scene especially Chandigarh and Amritsar Punjab has two noteworthy roastersmdashDouble Shot coffee roasters and Bloom Coffee roasters mdashthat have revolutionised the regions coffee cultureVarghese explains that Punjab likes its cappuccinos lattes and flat whites served at much higher temperatures But in Amritsar Double shot cafeacute has trained patrons to appreciate the right temperature for these drinks which has had an enormous impact ldquoItrsquos quite a sightrdquo he says ldquothis cafeacute is a threestory building and they were one of the few places in India where coffee sales outpaced food sales Typically good coffee shops also offer an extensive food menu which can be both costly and a logistical challenge However this cafeacute thrives by focusing purely on coffee a rarity in India where we often expect coffee to be accompanied by pastries or mealsrdquoIn Jalandhar new generation cafeacutes like Buland Zoka and Wht Blk are a part of a broader wave of establishmentsmdashcultivating a passionate coffee community in Punjab In Surat coffee is an alternative to alcohol in a dry state Amit Patelrsquos KOKORO hosts homebrewing workshops and nurtures a local network of enthusiasts His new venture KOKORO School launched with the Coffee Board of India teaches brewing and soft skillsGone are the days when the Indian customer was happy with just instant coffee or cappuccino The modern drinker now prefers specialty coffee thatrsquos been roasted to perfect the flavour profile and painstakingly brewed in a myriad of methods by baristasCloser to home in Mumbai where third generation coffeepreuneur Yahvi Mariwala opened the famed Nandan Coffee at Kala Ghoda in October was clear of what she wanted to offer ldquoCoffee language can be intimidatingmdashso we wanted to keep it jargonfree and very straightforward so that more people can appreciate the coffee experience at a seat by the window or at the Create Your Own Coffee station where you can learn the art of coffee blending and brewing from their inhouse baristardquoLichan Humtsoe Founder and CEO of Eacuteteacute Coffee the first specialty coffee roasting company and first Coffee School in the northeastern states that was established in 2016 in Kohima tells us ldquoOn one hand therersquos the growing wave of cafeacutes and roasteries in Nagaland which wersquore actively supporting by offering equipment and machinery Wersquove sold 19 Espresso machines in just a few months ushering over 10 new cafeacutes in Kohima and Dimapur Nagaland alone The trend rapidly spreads to Sikkim Meghalaya Arunachal Aizawl and Manipur Although still in the early stages we are involved in several exciting projects in Assam toordquoA training session in progress at Eacuteteacute Coffee School in NagalandHarking to the beginning of brewing in the region Humtsoe shares ldquoThe first coffee plantations came in the early 1980s in Nagaland However coffee culture didnrsquot really take root many farmers abandoned their farms and it wasnrsquot until the 2010s that things began to change In 2016 we became the first specialty coffee roaster in the Northeast Since then therersquos been significant momentum driven by initiatives massive plantation and revival of old abandoned farms in 20152016 from the government the Department of Land Resources and the Coffee Board The establishment of other coffee roasters such as Nagaland Coffee in 2018 further fuelled this growthrdquo Nagaland Coffee was actively exporting green coffee overseas by 2016 DrsquoCafe in Kohima is acclaimed to be the first fullfledged modernday cafe established in 2016Technology and techniques are still in their early days on farms Most coffee plantations have only been established in the past five to eight years ldquoWersquore currently working with the first second and thirdgeneration cropsrdquo Humtsoe says ldquoWhile experimental techniques such as anaerobic and carbonic maceration are being explored itrsquos still a learning process The farmers many new to coffee cultivation are adopting new practices and while it can be overwhelming therersquos a strong sense of excitement and potentialrdquoBinny VargheseTechnology and techniques are still in their early days on farms Most coffee plantations have only been established in the past five to seven years ldquoWersquore currently working with the first second and thirdgeneration cropsrdquo Humtsoe says ldquoWhile experimental techniques such as anaerobic and carbonic maceration are being explored itrsquos still a learning process The farmers many new to coffee cultivation are adopting new practices and while it can be overwhelming therersquos a strong sense of excitement and potentialrdquoThe transformation of coffee in Indiamdashfrom political and industrial roots to a more humane culturedriven movementmdashcontinues to unfold A fourth wave with specialty shops roasters and artisanal cafeacutes is washing over major cities fostering awareness about fairtrade practices smallbatch sourcing and unique brewing techniques However full adoption will depend on several factorsldquoWe are riding all the waves simultaneouslyrdquo says Varghese ldquoTraditional preferences for filter coffee and instant coffee mean tastes vary widely and specialty coffee remains a premium product Additionally awareness about the environmental and ethical dimensions of coffee sourcing touchstone of the fourth wave is still developingrdquoThe growing presence of local specialty brands greater consumer awareness and rising younger demographic suggest India has the potential to become a robust market in the near future However for now Roaster and Coffee educator like Humtsoersquos vision is to create a domestic market that supports locally grown specialty coffee ldquoTherersquos no reason we should go to Europe for an exceptional cup of coffee which is actually grown here in our backyardrdquo he says adding ldquoThis is an exciting time especially with south India moving toward specialty coffee and the same trend begins to take root in the Northeast India is finally a big part of the global coffee wealthbuilding narrativerdquoGharchi coffeeMaharashtra has been cultivating coffee for over a century with plantations such as Chikhaldararsquos 100acre estate in Amravati district dating back to the late 1800s Its Arabica coffeemdashonce nurtured by British officers and later expanded by the Roman Catholic Missionmdashremains largely absent from specialty coffee shopsDespite the increasing demand for premium specialty coffee most of Maharashtrarsquos harvest is sold in its raw forms such as filter coffee or green beans Though coffee cultivation in Maharashtra is relatively new compared to the wellestablished plantations of south India the state has seen some innovative strides Ashwin Paranjpe has been experimenting at his Gorus Forest Farm in Mulshi using seeds from his greatgrandfatherrsquos original plants Along with landscape designer Swati Aringale Paranjpe has demonstrated that coffee can thrive in Maharashtra with proper forest management and irrigation despite the statersquoschallenging climateHowever the industry faces a fundamental challenge a need for formal education in coffee processing While south Indian farmers have long been trained in fermentation and processing many in Maharashtra lack these essential skills As a result much of the bean doesnrsquot reach its potential as specialty coffeeYet there is hope Stategrown coffee has scored high on the Q grading scale universal system for evaluating coffees Farmers such as Paranjpe are committed to improving yeild quality and experts hold with the right support it could take five to 10 years for Maharashtra to become a recognised player in the specialty coffee worldThis evolution takes on even more profound significance when considering the historical roots of the industry in Pune In 1864 an article in the Jnanaprakash newspaper detailed the rise and fall of coffee plantations in Mundhwa and Hadapsar part of Punersquos Haveli taluka The coffee praised by Europeans in the Cantonment area was ultimately ruined due to a dispute between the plantation ownersThe report piqued my curiosity leading to further research that uncovered the contributions of AngloIndians William Sundt and William Webbe They were instrumental in the early success of coffee cultivation in Pune transforming their gardens into plantations This not only shaped Punersquos horticultural history but also planted the seeds for the coffee industry in the regionWhy so specialCoffee quality is evaluated using a 100point scale developed by the Specialty Coffee Association SCA with scores falling into several categories Specialty Coffee 80 pts or higher Outstanding 90 to 100 pts Excellent 85 to 8999 pts Very Good 80 to 8499 pts and CommercialGrade 60 to 80 ptsQuality graders are experts in coffee evaluation and follow strict protocols for factors such as water temperature coffee dosage grind size and brewing time assigning scores to the beans across 10 categories including aroma taste aftertaste acidity body and sweetness Only about 6 per cent of the worldrsquos coffee meets the standards required to be classified as specialty coffeeIndia drank201284000 tonnes202391000 tonnes