Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
STiR tea & coffee industry international 41 Tamil Nadu Coffee Regions Anamalais: High-grown Arabicas, including the exotic Kents at 1,000-1,400 m elevation with Rainfall of 2,500-3,000 mm Nilgiris: High-grown Arabicas, including the exotic Kents at 900-1,400 m elevation with rainfall of 1,600-2,600 mm Pulneys: High-grown Arabicas at 600-2,000 m elevation with rainfall of 1,000-1,600 mm Sheveroys: Arabica at 900-1,500 m elevation with rainfall of 800-1,500 mm. Araku valley (Andhra Pradesh): ANDHRAPRADESH Araku Valley KARNATAKA KERALA TAMIL NADU KARNATAKA KERALA TAMIL NADU KARNATAKA KERALA TAMIL NADU Anamalais Bababudangiris Biligiris Chikmagalur Coorg Manjarabad Wayanad Travancore Sheveroys Nilgiris Pulneys Traditionally, the ground coffee-chicory mixture is brewed in a brass or stainless steel filter pot. The process is involved. To make filter coffee, home cooks boil the milk, add sugar and ground coffee, and return the mixture to a boil. Then, they let the coffee steep and settle before serving. Because the milk and sugar cook togeth- er, the result is noticeably thicker and richer than most other kinds of milk coffee. South Indians consider the filter pot to be the superior method of making cof- fee. "You won't get it that way outside," explains Lathif, a Coonoor native and self-professed coffee drinker. A college-educated, recently married BPO worker, he's typical of the demographic coffee marketers hope to capture. He explains that the process of making filter coffee is too involved for most young people who drink coffee every morning. "It takes too much time," he says flatly. Like most Indians, even deep in coffee country where he lives, he prefers to use instant coffee for his morning cup. As with filter coffee, most supermarkets offer a range of instant powders, in- cluding some with chicory flavoring. Instant it isn't, though. South Indians prefer to bring a mixture of milk and sugar to a boil before dissolving their instant powder in it. This yields a beverage with a mouthfeel similar to the traditional method's mouthfeel, but without the added steps of a second boil, steeping, and filtering. Whether filter or instant, coffee is typically served immediately after (not with) breakfast. Coffee also makes an appearance at around 4 p.m., whether in the home or in the office, as an afternoon pick-me-up. Coffee is also a traditional home remedy. Black and spiked with black pepper, it's used to treat the symptoms of mild upper respiratory infections. Growing café culture Today, coffee culture outside the home is on the rise. The increase isn't entirely an indicator of growing interest in coffee's finer qualities, though. India's educated, working young people use coffee shops as inexpensive, comfortable places to meet and hang out with friends. With a 65% market share according to Technopak Advisors, and 1,650 cafes – more than three times all its competitors combined – Bangalore-based Café Coffee Day dominates. The company's slogan is "a lot can happen over coffee." Coffee Day charges upwards of three times what it costs to buy a cup of coffee at a corner kiosk, but the option to linger in a clean, modern-looking cafe makes it a relatively good deal. The experience and the "cool" factor are more important than what is in the cup, especially for the upwardly mobile 18 to 25-year olds that are Coffee Day's best customers. The chain's most profitable segment is 20 to 24-year-olds, with only 10% of its customers over 35. Coffee Day targets older coffee drinkers in its larger cafes, and has additional formats designed to attract music lovers, book readers, in-transit travelers, as well as cyber cafes for the tech-savvy. The company also operates 10,000 vending ma- chines, 1,000 kiosks, 400 ground coffee stores and provides office coffee service. The cafe segment's market value is expected to reach INRs20 billion rupees (US$339 million) by 2018, up from INRs16.4 billion in 2013. Barista Coffee, India's second largest chain is a direct competitor in the 18 to 25-year-old demographic. The Lavazza-backed 180-store venture was the first to offer a loyalty program. Lon- don-based Costa Coffee operates 100 stores. Tata Starbucks has opened 46 outlets in four major cities. There are 29 Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme has 8 outlets. For sit-down coffee shops large and small, most newcomers follow Cafe Coffee Day's lead and concentrate on machine coffees such as cappuccino rather than of- fering the old-school filter coffee that grandma might drink. Traditional vendors that sell only whole beans and ground coffee rely on south- ern traditionalism to maintain their business. Chennai's Leo Coffee, for example, has 40 stand-alone stores around the city. Leo has expanded the brand with 120 outlets in department stores and larger supermarkets, all targeted towards younger customers. They also distribute their coffees to retailers in urban centers across the state. Coimbatore's Kannan's Department store, for example, stocks Leo and other local brands alongside their own house blends. Tumbler of filter coffee in a dhavra