Share
Every morning you’ll find steamy, aromatic coffee brewing in most South Indian households. Nothing is as satisfying as a dabarah and steel cups of extra strong filter coffee (or Filter Kaapi) with sweetened milk. Brewed in traditional percolators, Filter Kaafi can never be enough for a coffee aficionado. The relationship between Filter Kaapi and South India is as old as time and as beautiful as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Here’s how.
India’s dalliance with coffee dates back to the 17th century. Legend has it that a saint from Chikamagalur called Baba Budan smuggled seven coffee beans while returning from his Hajj in present-day Yemen. While it was considered illegal to import green coffee beans to India as the local producers wanted to preserve their monopoly, the saint not only managed to hide the coffee beans in his beard but also plant the beans in the Chandragiri Hills. Although the coffee continued to grow in the Chandragiri Hills for over a century, the plantation was limited to that area only. The export of coffee yields began in the 19th century and it became popular in the Southern states of India in the 20th century.
The popularity and pricing of Filter Kaapi were strongly influenced by colonization. When the Britishers became aware of the popularity of filter coffee in South India, they thought to commercialize it and began plantations in Coorg and Wayanad. Coffee was generally perceived as the drink of the Europeans and was labeled as “modern”. The price of coffee was higher than its other half tea in India as coffee was generally brewed in milk and milk was expensive during those times.
Although coffee was brewed in most households in South India, coffee houses established by the Britishers didn’t allow native Indians as they were Europeans-only establishments. The idea of ‘Indian Coffee House’ was perceived by some Indians which came into inception in the mid-20th century with the establishment of the first ‘Indian Coffee House’ outlet in Bombay.
Initially, coffee was brewed in earthen pots and was replaced by stainless steel tumblers which are used to brew Filter Kaapi to date. South Indian Filter Kaapi travelled the world through gloablisation and is now sold in Malaysia and Singapore by Indian migrants by the name of Kopi Tarik. Although Filter Kaapi has travelled through centuries, its authenticity and flavour have been intact to date.
