The Story Of Coffee & its Love Affair With India

Coorg and Coffee are the part and parcel of one another. You cannot talk about either one without mentioning the other! On my recent visit to Coorg, I discovered their story. A story full of suspense, drama, fiction and at the end, the eternal togetherness!!

All of this started many thousand years ago in Ethopia.  A local shepherd observed that his sheep begins to dance after eating the fruit of a particular plant. He also ate a few of them and felt an instant gush of energy injected in him. He thought, he has discovered the magical fruit and in hope to get some reward he presented the same to their king. The arrogant king however was not happy to receive a gift from a puny shepherd and threw the fruit in the fireplace nearby. At the very instant, the room was filled with a soothing, captivating aroma and that’s how coffee was discovered! 

Even after thousand years of its discovery, the magical drink was unknow to Indians but became very popular amongst Europeans. The coffee trade was dominated by Arabs and only Arabs. They would not let anyone take the raw coffee seeds, doing so was a punishable offense back then. Anyone interested to take coffee seeds would get the roasted seeds only so that it cannot be used to grow the coffee plant in any other region.

In 1670, an Indian Traveler who had gone to Mecca, successfully smuggled SEVEN of these gold seeds. It is said and I do believe that he hid the seeds in his beard and came to India. Coffee needs a particular climate to grow. Also, it always grows in a shade, direct sunlight damages the crop. Which is why the traveler brought the seeds to Chikmaglur and planted them. In no time, Indian subcontinent has its very own coffee plants. 

The coffee plantation grew commercially during the British Raj. And ever since, India is one of the largest producers of Coffee in world. Around 53 percent of India’s total coffee growth comes from Karnataka and 50 percent of which comes from Coorg!   More than fifty percent of Coorg’s population is indulged in the business of Coffee directly or indirectly. Coorg and its coffee is the topic I can continue to write about a lot more, however for those who do not like this mysterious drink, Coorg has a lot more to offer!

Coorg is a popular tourist destination of Southern India. It is around six hours drive away from the busy city of Bangalore. Unlike other touristy places, Coorg is less crowded. With numerous homestay options, it is indeed one of the sought-after place by women travelers. Apart from venturing the magnificent coffee plantation here, one can also visit the Tala-Kaveri, the origin source of the Holy River Kaveri. Jungle safari, water sports, off-roading, trekking, Elephant Parks and many such options make this place an ideal destination for both adventure and leisure travelers. Ever since I’ve got to know this story, I often wonder while sipping my coffee, whom should I be thankful of? The shepherd, the king, the traveler or the British Raj?