C H I K M a G

CHIKMA GALUR Coffee country and beyond From historic temples to wildlife reserves, the birthplace of Indian coffee is an unsuspectingly vibrant destination OS_012019.P50-54_IndianCoffee.indd 50 12/23/18 1:16 PM CHIKMA GALUR Coffee country and beyond WORDS: AKANKSHA SINGH OS_012019.P50-54_IndianCoffee.indd 51 12/23/18 1:16 PM 52 As the landscape unfurls, with ever- al tea houses in the rest of the country, green rolling hills morphing into idyllic smaller, more homely ‘coffee stalls’ are valleys, so does the history of Chikma- the norm in these parts and have been galur coffee. If legend is to be believed, for a few hundred years. Traditional the coffee in this area can be sourced ‘South Indian filter coffee,’ as it’s called, back to the 17th Century, when Sufi saint is always served milky and sweet, with Baba Budan returned from his pilgrim- a frothy crown. It is brewed in a metal he smell of damp earth is age to Mecca. After stopping in Mocha, canister, which is somewhat similar to a the first thing you notice Yemen, on his way back to India, he ‘drip’ coffee, to derive a concentrate. The about Chikmagalur. After discovered the hot, dark beverage and concentrate is then dissolved in hot milk driving for four-and-a-half- smuggled back seven raw arabica beans and sugar before being served in a steel hours along a palm-lined to plant in the hills of Karnataka. The glass and bowl which are used to cool Troad from Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Val- hills would later come to be known as the and froth the coffee. ley, the smell and narrowing roads are Baba Budangiri hills. Still, there is something special welcome changes. The noise of city life Intertwined with the ancient origins about the coffee from these parts spe- is replaced by birdsong, the rustling of of coffee in the area is its colonial past: it cifically – perhaps it is their connec- elephant herds in the forests, and – de- was, arguably, due to colonial influence tion to an old world, or that they are pending on when you visit – the sound that plantations here initially thrived, still largely removed from the spoils of of rain bouncing off of tinned roofs. when India was still under British rule. modernisation. Set against a backdrop Malenadu, the region in which Chik- In those days much of the coffee that magalur is located, means ‘land of rain’ in came from Chikmagalur was largely Kannada, the state’s national language. chicory-based, especially during the At 1066 metres, the town is perched World Wars, when this would have been amongst the clouds in southern India’s both cost-effective and convenient. Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka, Since then, however, coffee has with velvet greenery blanketing the area grown into a million-dollar industry in Workers carry bags in all directions. Seamlessly patched India, with the country being the world’s of ripe arabica coffee within this vegetation are swathes of cof- sixth largest coffee producer and a blos- berries on their heads fee estates, where cherry red arabica and soming coffee culture of its own. As café at a plantation in robusta beans grow in abundance. chains spring up alongside tradition- Madapura, Karnataka OS_012019.P50-54_IndianCoffee.indd 52 12/23/18 1:16 PM 54 of dreamlike, mist-covered hills and the From left: Seasonal husking and roasting. To her, coffee is shrill whistle of the kingfisher making workers are paid by the more than a livelihood – it is a lifestyle. its way to a treetop, teal wings and red quality and quantity Shariff believes in the power of the rich beak gleaming, there is a sense of mag- of coffee cherries that brown liquid, having seen her mother, ic that permeates the place. People like they gather and sort; uncles and aunts consume cup after cup, Jog waterfalls homestay and fourth-generation plan- their home filled with warmth. tation owner Reshma Shariff know this Like recipes for food, family recipes allure well – it was, perhaps, the emerald for coffee are clutched close to the hearts hills of Chikmagalur that first attracted of people in Chikmagalur, being passed her great-grandfather to the coffee coun- the care one would give to a baby: “It down generationally, with the tiniest try in 1925. actually takes nine months for the ara- of tweaks between one generation and Today, on the eighty-acre planta- bica cherries to mature, before we pluck the next – a pinch of chicory, a splash tion, Shariff devotes most of the plan- them in December.” of scalding water before the whole lot is tation’s attention to the local specialty, Having grown up on the plantation, poured in. It’s for this reason that people the arabica bean. Grown in the shade Shariff can’t help but love everything here believe that there is no substitute of trees like silver oak and jackfruit, she about coffee – from the picking of ripe for the taste of hospitality one gets in a half-jokes her coffee crop truly needs red cherries to their sorting, drying, cup of coffee brewed in a family kitchen. OS_012019.P50-54_IndianCoffee.indd 54 12/23/18 1:16 PM 55 KARNATKA BEYOND COFFEE: THREE THINGS TO SEE AND DO Hebbe Falls Cascading off a steep rock face from a height of 165 metres, these mesmeris- ing falls stream in narrow jets of refreshing, cold water. To reach the falls you’ll need to hire a Jeep provided by the authorities which drops you to a point just short of the falls (you’ll need to walk the remaining distance). Arrive and cool off in the waist-deep water where the falls pool. Trek to the apex of Karnataka Perched above the mist of the mountains are two of Karnataka’s most prominent peaks -the Baba Budangiri peak and the Mullayangiri peak, the high- est mountain in the state at 1925 metres. The trail connecting the two peaks is a simple but scenic one, typically lasting two nights. Each estate has its own flavour too; Belur and Halebid, architectural marvels The temples of Belur from the earth in which the coffee grows from the 10th Century which are hand- and Halebid to the amount of shade even the tiniest carved into rock, while further still is the Made entirely out of rock, factor, Shariff says, makes a difference region’s largest tiger reserve. the temples in the historic to the taste. It’s that irresistible je ne sais With the area gaining more promi- sister towns of Belur and quois that inspires loyalty to a roast, a nence as a getaway spot from Bengalu- Halebid are 10th-century brand, or an estate. The arabica, for one ru, a handful of boutique hotels in the architectural marvels. A thing, has floral notes – fruity and mild area have sprung up, their glass-walled word to the wise – be sure – that dance on your tongue with the villas looking into the valley – and that to wear full-length trousers first sip. But it’s the smell of the beans warm, butterscotch smell of the Arabica or skirts, and cover your that will tempt you first: a nutty, butter- bean omniscient. shoulders during the temple scotch scent. visits. Also bear in mind Despite Karnatka growing three- that since these temples quarters of India’s coffee for export, are Hindu religious sites, Emirates serves nine destinations in there is much to do in the area be- India – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hydera- you’ll have to remove your yond the bean. Just hours away from bad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruva- footwear before entering, so Chikmagalur are the ancient cities of nanthapuram and Ahmedabad. keep a pair of socks handy. OS_012019.P50-54_IndianCoffee.indd 55 12/23/18 1:16 PM.

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