India's Filter Coffee Ranked Above Cafe Cubano, Absent From Global Menus – CoffeeTalk

India’s filter coffee has been ranked the best coffee in the world, with it now surpassed the beloved café Cubano. Filter coffee is a symbol of hospitality and heritage, brewed in traditional stainless steel tumblers and originating from South Indian kitchens. It is a ritual of patience, with every step contributing to the perfect cup of filter coffee.

Chief Dhruv Oberoi, who was raised in the Andaman Islands, explains that Indians lack confidence when it comes to showcasing their local beverages on the global stage. Desi drinks like kanji, kokum, and chaach have not been promoted internationally because there’s a fear they might “downgrade the menu.” Oberoi also points out that part of the problem lies in filter coffee’s complexity and the skill required to master it, making it harder to bring to the global forefront.

One restaurant chain that has successfully taken its filter coffee global without compromising on authenticity is Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR). Today, there are an MTR in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seattle, London, Bellevue, and Dubai. The restaurant, running in its 100th year, will soon have an outpost in Toronto as well. However, the expansion plans are tempered with caution—the family’s time-tested secret recipes cannot be compromised.

MTR sources its beans and roasts them at their factory in Bengaluru and exports the roasted beans to franchises across the world. Vikram Maiya, managing director of the restaurant chain, is against the idea of exporting coffee powder, as it loses the aroma. However, MTR’s chefs are taught every step that leads to the restaurant’s famous hot cuppa during their training.

To keep up with the hustle of daily life, many turn to a French press for an instant cup of filter coffee. Chetan Hegde, Bengaluru chapter head of the National Restaurant Association of India, doesn’t love the idea, as the traditional method creates a difference in decoction, like slow cooking. He points out that people outside India may not be familiar with the method, but for those who have experienced it, “the slow-brewed, thick, and aromatic decoction is quite different from the more well-known espresso-based drinks or even traditional drip coffee.”

The preparation of filter coffee varies across South India, with each region tailoring the strength, type of beans, and proportion of chicory to suit local tastes. The cultural significance is also key, particularly in Karnataka, where serving filter coffee to guests is a symbol of respect. The Malnad region, a lush, hilly expanse straddling Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, is home to what Maiya calls the “finest arabica beans.”

However, the supply still can’t keep up with the growing demand, and the production cannot serve the northern belt, let alone globally. To experience great coffee, one has to come to the South, noting how coffee tourism is practically nonexistent in India.

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