72.3% Indian will prefer gourmet Indian Coffee this year predict the 200 experts in the Godrej Food Trends Report 2022
India has grown coffee for centuries; significantly pre-dating the more popular tea in terms of cultivation and consumption. In our largely teetotalling nation, the non-alcoholic beverage space has always been one of innovation. And it has seen even more evolution in the last two years as the F&B industry focused on grabbing a larger chunk of the in-home beverage space.
Indian coffee beans were once primarily exported, with better understanding and appreciation, the domestic demand has been growing consistently in recent years. Tapaswini Purnesh, owner of Harley Estate proudly echoes this. “Historically, a majority of Harley Estate’s coffee was exported. But in the 2020-21 crop, we did not export even a single bean. All our specialty Arabica coffee was sold to buyers and roasters within India. It’s very exciting for us producers to see this shift!” she exclaims.
Anurag Mallick and Priya Ganapathy, travel/food writers and tourism consultants were of the opinion that, “The rise of roasteries, micro lots and artisanal farm to cup coffee from Coorg to Chikmagalur and beyond shows the importance accorded to coffee these days. More and more people are investing in the equipment and turning to roasting, grinding and home brewing their own beans for the perfect cuppa.”
A huge part of specialty coffee is the effort and human intervention that goes into each step of the process. It begins with the harvest of coffee cherries, with only the ripest ones being hand-picked each day. Growers then process the cherries through fermentation and drying, applying their knowledge of biochemistry to optimise the bean’s natural flavours. Then coffee tasters and roasters devise the best roast profiles to showcase these flavours. And finally, the beans are ground and brewed by skilled baristas so that all these steps shine in the final cup.
“Today, the segment of discerning consumers is growing.” Shares Shivani Unakar, Food Researcher & Communicator. “They know what makes good coffee, and they know what exactly they like!” She goes on to explain, that each wave of evolution in coffee culture saw at least one step of backward integration. The first wave saw consumers focus only on the final product. The second wave brought ‘baristas’, and their skills in crafting beverages and elaborate latte artistry into the limelight. The third wave saw roasters taking agency. And now, the fourth wave presages producers at the farm level getting innovative with their offerings! “It was this period, between 2012 and 2015 – that India began seeing a nationwide shift in the market, viewed as India’ third wave of coffee” concludes Unakar.
“As India’s interest in coffee has grown, coffee itself has evolved from a simple commodity into a bespoke personal experience. Today, the Indian coffee aficionado is extremely clued into the nuances of a good cup of coffee, and they expect favoured brands and cafes to deliver at par with or better than what they would brew at home! Interestingly we have observed specialty coffee grow exponentially in the home space in the last two years. I believe that the pandemic and resulting lockdown had a big part to play in this acceleration. And as a result, there is fantastic innovation happening in the coffee space in India today and producers are offering up convenience-driven solutions like never before! Capsule-based coffee machines have transformed the home experience, while roasters are introducing easy- pour drip bags, an ever-widening selection of gourmet and instant coffees, ready-to-drink cold brew options and so much more! Said, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, Curator and Editor-in-Chief, Godrej Food Trends Report 2022
According to 200 experts in the Godrej Food Trends Report 2022:
· 72.3% predict Gourmet Indian Coffee will be preferred
· 52.4% predict that gourmet Indian origin artisanal coffee/ tea brands will be consumed more in 2022
· 47.7% predict that cold brew tea and coffee options will be enjoyed in 2022
“Today, as more people enjoy black coffee, we are seeing cold brew coffee grow in popularity. It’s a great way for people to begin exploring coffee at home, because it is a brewing style that maximises the subtle flavours of a coffee, without the need for any complex brewing equipment or processes.” Says Rahul Sharma, Head Chef, ARAKU Coffee, Bangalore
“Meeting up for a coffee is never going out of style. And with the wonderful artisanal coffees with their beans ground to our preference gives us a feeling of being taken care of. The search for the perfect coffee experience will not end. And 2022 will be seeing more of it.” Concluded Salloni Malkani, Co-founder, The Food Bloggers Association of India