Araku Valley Arabica is an Arabica coffee cultivated in the hilly Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The coffee is grown primarily by tribal communities under natural forest shade at elevations of 900–1100 metres. Its distinctive growing environment contributes to its characteristic flavour and aroma profile.
What Makes It Unique:
Araku Valley Arabica is distinguished by its high-altitude cultivation, natural forest shade and traditional organic farming practices. The coffee has a medium body with medium to sharp acidity, citrus flavour and a complex aroma with spicy undertones. The coffee plants are cultivated as an under-crop within the forest ecosystem, creating a distinctive growing environment.
Production Process:
Cultivation begins with establishing native shade trees and preparing seedlings in nurseries. The plants are maintained using organic manures, green manuring and biological pest-management practices rather than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Ripe red coffee cherries are manually harvested between October and February. The cherries are then pulped, washed, fermented and sun-dried before the processed coffee is sent to markets or processing units.
Historical Background:
Coffee cultivation in the region has a history dating back to the nineteenth century. Historical records identify an early coffee estate established by the Raja of Vizianagaram at Anantagiri in 1863. Coffee cultivation subsequently expanded through the Araku and Ananthagiri areas. In Koraput, Odisha, Maharaja Bikram Dev Barma introduced coffee cultivation in 1930. Government and tribal-development programmes later contributed to the expansion of coffee cultivation in the region.
