Kaldi and the Dancing Goats

The story of coffee begins with an Ethiopian goatherd named Kaldi. Kaldi took his goats out to graze before sunrise everyday. Sitting out in an open field, Kaldi often dreamed of being wise like his father and of making a difference in the world. He was a determined young man. One morning while Kaldi was out with his herd, he noticed a goat hopping around, looking happy and almost dancing. Kaldi thought it was his imagination, he had never seen a dancing goat before. He began to follow this goat and noticed it was eating red berries off a bush. Curious Kaldi nibbled on a berry too. He started to feel different, and wasn’t sleepy anymore. A magical feeling took over and soon Kaldi was dancing with his goats.

Kaldi shared the berries with his father, a wise man in the village of Kaffa. Soon the wise old man felt strange and wasn’t sure why he wanted to dance. The word spread and these magical red berries were keeping everyone in the village in good spirits. People had more energy and everyone seemed to laugh more.

The berries were later shared with the world. The tiny beans inside the berry were roasted and brewed. People gathered together to enjoy this magical drink, coffee. Today, coffee has become a way of life. Hundreds of lives are dedicated to produce the perfect cup. The little red berries that Kaldi and his goats discovered have made their way around the world, bringing people together and often making them dance.

Seven Seeds

Indian Coffee dates back to the 17th century, when a saint named Baba Budan went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He was in Mocha, Yemen when he first tasted a refreshing dark brew. On his way back he smuggled seven coffee beans to India. He planted these seven precious seeds in his hermitage in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. The seven seeds were the beginning of a beautiful tradition, Indian Coffee. Coffee was then cultivated throughout the hills of Chikmagalur and in his honor the mountain range was named Baba Budan Giri. Indian coffee is traditionally cultivated in the Western Ghats of Southern India and is expanding across the country.

Coffee Varieties common to the Pulneys

Cattura is a mutation of coffee Bourbon, discovered in Brazil in the 1930s. It produces a higher yield than Bourbon and this is generally due to the plant being shorter with less distance between the branches. A relatively recent botanical selection of the Coffea Arabica species, Cattura, matures quickly, produces more coffee and is more resistant to disease when compared to the more traditional Arabica varieties.

S795, a cross between the Kents and S.288 varieties, was released during the 1940s. One of the most commonly planted Arabica in the Pulneys, S795 is known for its balanced cup and subtle flavour notes of mocca.

Sarchimore/Chandra Giri is a variety resistant to leaf rust disease and stem borer. It is a hybrid between the Costa Rican Villa Sachi and the Timor variety.

Catimore, a cross between Timor and Cattura coffee, was created in Portugal in Early maturation and high yields are recognised characteristics of this variety.

Other Coffee Varieties in India

Tafarikeia X hybrid de Timor

Geisha X hybrid de Timor

S333 X Devamachy

S881 X Devamachy