India’s love affair with coffee apparently began when, in the 17th century, Baba Budan, a Sufi saint from Karnataka, smuggled seven raw coffee beans from Yemen into India. At the time, exporting green coffee beans from the Arabian Peninsula was illegal, as it threatened the region’s monopoly on the crop. But Baba Budan saw potential.
Upon returning to his home in Chikmagalur, he planted the beans in the fertile hills of the Western Ghats. This quiet act of defiance sparked a revolution. And thus began India’s coffee revolution!
How the coffee became more than a drink
In colonial India, coffee became more than just a drink, it became a social marker. According to NDTV Food, many Indians began replacing the traditional drink kanji which is a rice or millet-based brew with coffee, imitating the habits of the elite.
However, access to coffee houses was still largely restricted to the British and upper-class patrons. Indians were often not allowed to enter. As a response, in 1936, the Coffee Cess Committee opened the first Indian Coffee House in Churchgate, Mumbai. This marked a cultural shift. Coffee, once an imported luxury, was now a symbol of resistance, community, and Indian identity. Soon, Indian Coffee Houses popped up across the country, with the first one in Mumbai.
The love for Indian filter coffee is pan-India
Indian filter coffee, known by various names degree coffee, Mysore coffee, or Kumbakonam coffee, is no longer confined to the kitchens of Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. It’s now an international delicacy.
In 2024, Taste Atlas, a global food guide, ranked Indian filter coffee as the world’s second best coffee. This recognition was no accident; the drink’s deep, rich flavour and frothy texture are the result of a unique preparation method, and the cultural pride tied to its ritualistic serving. Often brewed in brass tumblers and served with frothy milk in a dabarah set, Indian filter coffee continues to win hearts across continents.
How to make a perfect cup of filter coffee
First, coffee beans are roasted and ground finely to create a specific blend. Then comes the brewing: a metal filter, made up of two cylindrical chambers, is used. Ground coffee is added to the upper chamber and compressed with a pressing disc. Hot water is poured in, and over the next 10–15 minutes, it slowly filters down to the lower chamber, producing a rich decoction. This is then mixed with boiling hot milk and sugar.
