India Tamil Nadu Poopalang Kodaikanal Estate

If you think coffee from India sounds uncommon, wait until you hear about the Western Ghats mountain range where this coffee was cultivated. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, with more than 5,000 species of flowering plants and 508 species of birds.

The legends say that the Western Ghats mountain range is where the first cultivated coffee in India arrived, from seven raw beans from Mocha by a Sufi saint on a pilgrimage to Mecca in the 17th century. This historical event began a rich coffee culture that thrived in the region.

It comes from the Poopalang Kodaikanal Estate, which has 106 acres cultivated with coffee, oranges, and peppers. The estate has a mill where coffee cherries are sorted, de-pulped, fermented, washed, and dried on patios.