About This Coffee
The beans for this lot were produced by various smallholder producers, who sold their production to the local mill.
Cultivation
All coffee in India is shade-grown, which contributes to a healthy and sustainable cultivation system. The coffee was harvested between December and February.
Grading Indian Coffees
Indian coffees are classified according to a particular and rather complex system of grading, with subdivisions per region. India produces Fully washed and unwashed (Natural) Arabica and Robusta coffees. The conventional grades are based on screen size and defect count: A, AB, B, C and PB are the commercial grades. India also has a classification for the undergrades with brown and black beans - which are removed from the regular grades by electronic and manual color sorting -, for beans smaller than grade C with broken beans, and for bulk, which consists of ungraded and unsorted coffee beans.
In addition to the visual aspect and screen size, coffees are also identified by their region of origin. Some of the most famous regions in India are Mysore, Malabar, Wayanad and so on.
The next step in the classification system is the process. Dry-processed or Natural dried coffees are called “cherry”. Wet-processed or Fully washed arabica is called “Plantation” and wet-processed Robusta “Parchment Robusta”. Grades also include a letter grade indicating quality level including A, B, C and bulk.
Specialty coffee grades are the Fully washed Arabica Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold (or Elephant Bean), the A-grade washed Robusta Kaapi Royale and Monsooned coffees. AA and A grades of cherry Arabica and Robusta are used for Monsooned coffees.
Coffee in India
Though India is typically perceived as a tea-growing and drinking country, coffee production in the country actually predates tea. Records indicate that coffee first arrived in India in the 1600s, whereas tea did not arrive until more than 200 years later, in 1839. What does unite the two drinks, however, is that the British thirst for cheaper, more plentiful tea and coffee were the major reason that they were both first widely cultivated on plantations across India.
Coffee farms are typically situated between 700 and 1,200 meters above sea level. Most coffee cultivation is ‘traditional’ and two-tier shade canopies are mixed with leguminous, nitrogen-fixing trees. In this method, it is very common for coffee trees to be intercropped with spices (like vanilla or pepper) and fruit trees.
After harvest, which is most often done by hand by family members or hired laborers, cherry is usually processed as Natural or Fully washed. Most farms dry coffee on patios or tables, though some of the larger estates also have mechanical dryers.
Today, approximately 30% of coffee production is consumed internally. The other 70% is prepared for export.