Finding Coffee

The winding roads reveal an expanse of uniform green patches.  A plantation worker stops by the shrine of the Sufi saint who first smuggled coffee beans into India. In a kitchen, decoction drips slowly in a traditional filter. A few newspapers rustle and crease by a roadside coffee stall. Up in the hills, a lone hornbill cuts across the sunlit sky.

This journey follows the exotic aroma of coffee, trailing through the slopes of the undulating Western Ghats where South India’s tryst with coffee began, to the urban centres where coffee drinking has evolved into a culture of its own.  It will begin in the city of Bangalore moving South to the scenic landscapes of Chikmangalur also known as the Coffee House of India. The trail will then lead to the tranquil hill station of Coorg, before descending into the untouched Wayanad forests. The trail will continue into the more urban environment of Mysore, before coming to an end in the streets of Chennai.

The journey begins in the urban centre of Bangalore - a city that has metamorphosed from a sleepy cantonment to a bustling cosmopolitan. With coffee shops around every corner, the city will serve as the perfect introduction to the region’s culture surrounding their favourite beverage.

From the busy streets of Bangalore, move southward towards the lofty landscapes of Chikmagalur, where the first coffee beans were planted in India. With pristine waterfalls, hill temples, and untrodden trekking trails lined with panoramic coffee plantations, Chikmagalur is a haven for those seeking respite from the two-dimensional cities. The fruits vegetables and meat available in the mountain ranges have, over the years, shaped the Malanad cuisine of the region characterised by less usage of oil and a heavy influence of spices.

The aroma then leads you to the picturesque landscapes of Coorg, a serene hill region eluding the grasps of urbanity, nestled within verdant rainforests, and the hill slopes carved into coffee plantations. These rugged hills that were inaccessible bore within them a community known for its unique culture and way of life. Secluded from the rest of the region for most of its history, their Kodavu culinary tradition has been preserved with minimal external influence.  

Inhale the rich aroma of coffee with the occasional winds, while the air of Wayanad is smooth and a raspy confluence of green spices and the mountain soil. A spread of towns, villages and wilderness, the Wayanad region allows one to slow down and revel in its charms. Protected from outside influence by the guardian mountains, this region offers a wide range of dishes that form the cuisine of indigenous tribes.

Travel all the way to the fragrant city of Mysore to share a ‘by two coffee’ with a friend.  The pleasant tree-lined boulevards and well-spaced buildings welcome one to a city with a vibrant culture. Influenced by the Udupi cuisine and the Malanad cuisine, Mysore has carved a place for itself in the famed culinary traditions of India.

Fly down to the city of Chennai, where the early morning streets fill with the robust aroma of the famed ‘filter coffee’ decoction. A city that rose to prominence under the colonial rule, Chennai and it's crowded cacophonous streets offer to the travellers a quick glimpse into the myriad cultures of Tamil Nadu.