British colonial rulers developed coffee into a commercial crop that remained valuable until 1870, when Coffee Leaf Rust devastated virtually all the country's plantings. In 1920, Arabica was reintroduced and now accounts for about 50% of India's total crop.
India is now the second biggest producer of coffee in Asia and is responsible for 25% of Asian coffee production. India’s coffee grows between 2,900 and 5,900 feet above sea level, usually on terraces in the mountainous regions.
Coffees produced in India have more in common with Indonesian coffees than with coffees from Africa or the Arabian Peninsula.
Good Indian coffees are grown in the states of Karnataka (approximately 80% of Indian coffee is grown here), Kerala, and Tamilnadu . In good years, these coffees can contain acidity typical of Guatemalan coffee, and the full body of a good Javanese coffee.
In addition, these coffees incorporate the unique spicy flavors of nutmeg, clove, cardamom and pepper.
India also produces monsoon coffees, in which green beans have been exposed to the monsoon winds, blowing through open warehouses in India's rainy season.
The "Monsooning" of coffee first happened quite by accident in the deep of sailing ships - a shipload of coffee bound for Europe acquired a mellow yet unique taste en route, with the coffee beans 'swelling' due to the moisture in the air.
Thus, new kind of coffee, Monsooned Coffee, was born. This process reduces acidity and enhances sweetness, making them similar to Indonesian aged coffees. |
