The Hidden Gems from India
Araku Coffee
Araku, the Coffee originates from one of the most bio-diverse places in the Eastern Ghats Mountain range along the east coast of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh, providing just the right altitude for coffee. Only a relatively small amount of coffee is produced in this region, with the majority being Arabica.
Araku, the Café is an awe-inspiring coffee place that’s home to India’s first-ever Modbar, exceptional coffee, fine food, an internationally recognised coffee academy, a dedicated manual brewing station and a curated bookstore.
What more can you ask for! It’s one of my preferred meeting places in Bangalore and you can easily make out from the photos down below 😊
Araku, the Café is spread across 465 sq mtr and two levels, is designed by New York based Architect Jorge Zapata and Delhi based Shonan Purie Trehan, of Labwerk. A fully sustainable vision comes to life, with bamboo chandeliers, recycled paper and clay planters, recycled metal shelves, recycled paper vents and more. ARAKU Coffee collaborated with the best design houses in India to produce bespoke furniture and products for the café. A rotating curation of contemporary art fills the walls of the cafe. The art programme is run in collaboration with Mumbai’s Tarq Gallery. The bookstore, tucked behind the floating stairway, features a handpicked selection of critically acclaimed, rare and essential literary work. Plants from Araku not only breathe life into the space, but also form a bridge between the bustling city centre and the lush plantations the coffee comes from.
Araku coffee in Bangalore is also home to India’s first SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) certified training campus.
All in all, you feel like being somewhere in Scandinavia, may be Copenhagen or Stockholm or Oslo, while enjoying the best vibes of Bangalore.
Know your Coffee
Gems of ARAKU:
It’s an annual harvest festival curated by Naandi Foundation. Since 2009, it has brought together eminent coffee experts from across the globe, to recognise the gems among coffees produced in the entire Araku region of Andhra Pradesh. The event ensures thousands of tribal farmers have access to the global coffee market and expertise. In our pursuit of excellence, the farmers and our in-house experts have actively worked with international cuppers and coffee evangelists to improve the quality of the bean, year on year. Araku coffee has consistently won high scores, often as much as 94, from industry experts. There are three phases to Gems of Araku: Pre-selection, followed by national and international jury assessment, concluding with a live auction. In its 12th edition, 42 countries were registered as bidders via www.gemsofaraku.com
Lot 58:
A micro lot with exquisite properties, Lot 58 ranked among the top 20 coffees scored and auctioned at Gems of Araku 2021. It’s the handiwork of 99 farmers from Hukumpeta, in Araku; each with an average plot of 1.5 to 2 acres between the elevations of 900 – 1150 masl. The rich terroirs share strikingly similar characteristics. The coffee is 100% Arabica and high on sweetness (BRIX 22+).
· Harvest: Dec 2020 – Mar 2021
· Cupper’s Notes: Floral aromatics with flavour nuances of sapota, stone fruit, orange marmalade and apricot nectar. Silky body and a super sweet, long finish with clarity in the cup
· Cupper’s Score: 86.42
· Process: Washed Process
· Roast Profile: Medium
With the Master Roaster Rohan & his Probat machine
With Venu Garu (L) & Sesha Sai Garu (L). Sesha Garu is also a Coffee Connoisseur
With my younger brother Kalyan during his India Trip
With my Cycling Amigo Amar
