India’s romance with coffee goes back nearly 400 years when a Moslem pilgrim, Baba Budan, is credited with secretly bringing back seven coffee seeds from a pilgrimage to the holy land! He is said to have planted these near his mountain cave in Chikmagalur and now considered the cradle of Indian coffee. Commercial cultivation of coffee in India began in 1840 when the British established Arabica coffee plantations throughout the mountains of Southern India. They found the tropical climate, high altitude, sunny slopes and ample rainfall ideal for coffee cultivation. Today, India is the sixth largest producer of coffee in the world, behind Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Mexico. Learn more about the journey of how a single coffee bean turns into a cup of warmth and happiness.