Coffee Nirvana

Mindless Masters

2012-07-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

With the introduction of FSSA our government Bapu’s have once again proved they are living in a world that is cut out from the reality. Rules that are brought in are mindless, draconian and do not fit the Food & Beverage Industry atmosphere of our country. At first instance, how did they even accepted the recommendations with-out fine tuning or customizing according to the conditions (fragments of food business) of our country. Yes, the FSSA rules fetched in from abroad are great and fits good for western countries & for mass food producing & food processing industries in our country. But not for majority of small shops that cater to the mass public & shouldn’t have to implement the rules (common) as it is (for all segments of the food business) for a country like ours where most food outlets that cater to the masses are run by road side/home based and small outlets. The rules of FSSAI are unrealistic how do they expect a road side caterer to appoint a Diploma/Graduate holder to supervise their small unit which is mostly run either individually/self-employed or as a family or with the help of one or two assistants, instead they should concentrate more on the hygiene & cleanliness part by educating them about the GHP & GMP practices.

I wonder how many high end hotels, restaurants and industrial caterers have implemented these practices or educated and trained their staff on it. Before bringing in the rules to live, have our bapus ever sensitized or educated the business community about the rules that are going to be covered under this? Had they taken the steps to inculcate the rules as a chapter into the hotel/hospitality schools syllabus?

These rules simply pave way for harassment of businesses under the hands of local bapus and a breeding ground for corruption. First of all does any of the sanitary/food inspectors are equipped or have the knowledge to identify the products just by observing or sensing whether it is with in or out of shelf life.

How often do they walk into an established brand/chain food outlets and checked for the quality & quantity and how many times have they issued a paper for the deficiency. Does this mean that all these businesses follow the HACCP, GHP & GMP to the core, of course not it’s because our Bapus are afraid of the influences that will wage a war against them if they ever even think of issuing a paper. It is the helpless and uneducated roadside & small eateries who are being fleeced & harassed by all walks of authorities due to their ignorance & inability.

Our Central Bapus from the (recommending & implementing) departments should be made to stroll the nook and corner of the country to conduct a reality check before implementing these rules.

Milk? R U 100% sure it is?

2012-05-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Shocking survey details from FSSAI -National Survey on Adulteration of Milk.

I can console myself as i residing in Chennai (Tamilnadu region 12%) which is second only to Andhra (6.7%) in percentage in the survey by means of Non confirming to standards. Some states like Chattisgarh where it is 100% non confirming to standards i wonder what they drink in the name of Milk.

There are more than five states which comes into 100% Non confirming samples.

Please check the link for the survey details www.fssai.gov.in/Portals/0/Pdf/State_milk_survey(02-01-2012).pdf and the following link for an article by Ms.Menaka Gandhi in "The Hindu"s Sunday issue http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/society/article3431926.ece with the tests that has to be carried out to differentiate the real milk from the white poison.

Can we say it is the sheer greed for money of some cruel creatures hiding in the name of human beings in the Dairy business and throwing the public's health in to thin air.

It is you the public's duty to find out the black sheep in your region and bring it to books and ban the business.

Beware Coffee enthusiast: You are put on the wrong track, be careful of the institutions that you take up for gaining knowledge?

2012-03-20T20:30:00.001-07:00

Very recently I happened to attend a class in one of the finest repute institution in Bangalore about coffee roasting there were people from all parts of India who were eager to know about coffee and its science there were senior executives of upcoming chains, future entrepreneurs, planters and some enthusiasts who were keen in getting into coffee business. I was stunned with the way class was conducted from day one sharing very less information about coffees and in most of the instances people were misguided about coffees. I will share just one example over here “I was contradicted and mocked when I said that each and every region has its own profile for coffees (to be specific about Aroma, Acidity, Body & Flavor) but the instructor (having a doctorate degree to his name) who conducted the class was on a denying mood from the beginning till the end of the class, to the contrary I happened to see the specialty coffee(regions of India) labels (they use it) in the lab that talks much about the profiling of the coffees.

So is the instructor or the institution that is lying. If they are not ready to part the knowledge with the public then they shouldn’t have conducted these kind of classes in the first instance. Just for monetary gains please don’t take the people on wrong path.

I feel pity for the fellow attendees who by now started believing that what they (instructors) said & taught is true and will pass on the same wrong information to their counterpart, juniors & staffs.

Hurray, thanks to the Institution & the training Class for putting the attendees on the wrong track.

Long live democracy.

How fresh is your coffee?

2012-02-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how fresh your coffee that you drink is? Come on seriously this is not for instant coffee drinkers this exercise is meant for people who brew to sip either it may be a filter coffee or other freshly brewed method.

Here is a small test to know more about the freshness of your coffee:

1. Where do you purchase your ground coffee?

i. Neighborhood retail Shop.

ii. From the racks of Supermarket.

iii. Coffee shop.

iv. Coffee roastery.

2. What is the quantity of coffee that you purchase each time?

i. 100 gms.

ii. 500 gms.

iii. 250 gms.

iv. 750 gms.

3. How often do you purchase your coffee?

i. Twice in a week.

ii. Weekly.

iii. Bi-Weekly.

iv. Monthly.

4. How do you store your coffee powder once it has been opened?

i. In the same packing.

ii. Stainless steel container (with packing).

iii. Plastic container- Air tight (with packing).

iv. Freezer.

Add up the points for that you have selected and know your results

1. i – 2, ii – 2, iii – 2, iv – 4

2. i – 4, ii – 2, iii – 3, iv – 1

3. i – 4, ii – 3, iii – 2, iv – 1

4. i – 1, ii – 2, iii – 3, iv – 1

1. 13-15 – Good

2. 8-13 – O.K

3. 5-8 – Bad

Yes it’s true, you can tell a lot about your favorite coffee if you know where it was grown it’s because each and every coffee producing region has its own individual taste profile.

2012-02-24T07:37:00.001-08:00

Certification of Coffees

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Certifications that are offered for Coffees which will obtain premium price in the International market. They are as follows:

1. Organic - Create a verified sustainable agriculture system that produces food in harmony with nature, supports biodiversity and enhances soil health.

2. Fair Trade Certified - Support a better life for farming families in the developing world through fair prices, direct trade, community development and environmental stewardship.

3. Rainforest Alliance - Integrate biodiversity conservation, community development, workers’ rights and productive agricultural practices to ensure comprehensive sustainable farm management.

4. Smithsonian Bird Friendly® - Conduct research and education around issues of neo-tropical migratory bird populations, promoting certified shade coffee as a viable supplemental habitat for birds and other organisms.

5. Utz Certified - UTZ CERTIFIED’s mission is to achieve sustainable agricultural supply chains, where: Producers are professionals implementing good practices which enable better businesses, livelihoods and environments; The Food industry takes responsibility by demanding and rewarding sustainably grown products; Consumers buy products which meet their standard for social and environmental responsibility.

6. 4 C Common Code - Achieve global leadership as the baseline initiative that enhances economic, social and environmental production, processing and trading conditions to all who make a living in the coffee sector.

Falling Arabica production in India?

2012-02-17T03:59:00.000-08:00

Is it the shyness of the farmers towards Arabica or they are working on cluster growth on Robusta?

World over Arabica is ruling the coffee market with higher prices even the new regions that come up with coffee plantations in South America and African continent start producing and concentrate mainly on Arabica which fetch a much better price than robusta beans per square meter of their farm.

Production of Coffee in India

Year	Arabica	%	Robusta	%	Total
2009-2010	94600	33	195000	67	289600
2010-2011	94140	31	207860	69	302000
2011-2012*	104525	32	217725	68	322250

*Estimates

But farmers in India are switching to Robusta production from the Arabica plantation for various reasons; one of the reasons is Arabica which is prone to diseases, there’s a reason to cheer about is that Non traditional areas are concentrating more on Arabica plantations than their counterpart traditional growing areas.

Coffee Shipment from India by types:

Year	Arabica *(Plantation+Cherry)*	Robusta *(Parchment+Cherry)*
*2007*	42114.3	106768.7
*2008*	48869.9	107131
*2009*	29641.2	94205.8
*2010*	50580.4	152277
*2011*	54103.2	193133.1
Total	225309	653515.6

How come farmers in other countries could raise the Arabica trees and harvest the produce with out much hesitation and demand a superior price in the market for their produce.

It is time for our people (Planters) they should think, act and try to get a much better return from their plantation.

Which is your favorite coffee shop in your area and why it is?

2012-02-15T07:02:00.001-08:00

Questions to answer

2012-02-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

1.Do you know what kind/proportion of coffee you are being served in the coffee shop?

2. Have you ever bothered to enquire about it?

I. If No, Why?

II. If Yes, When &Where?

3. Does the staff who served you is knowledgeable about it?

How small and marginal planters can attract the foreign buyer’s/Market to their farm gate.

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

A fine suggestion for small coffee growers would be to profile their produce & the farm through professional assistance which will fetch them a much better value than the ruling market price and a specific buyer or buying market for your product.

Do you know, Continent wise, coffee is grown in Laaaap not literally Lap, it’s Latin America, Africa, Arabia, Asia & Pacific.

2012-02-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

Changes in Traditional Vs Non Traditional growing regions

2012-02-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

Growing region changes during 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2010-11	2008-09	2009-10	YoY growth	2010-11	YoY growth
Traditional Areas	160750	160912	100.1008	161072	100.0994
Non Traditional Areas	79951	91139	113.9936	102887	112.8902
NER Region	5621	5621	100.0000	5606	99.7331

With the statistics, we come to know Non Traditional Areas are expanding their frontier on a year over year basis with shot in the arm in finding the buyers for their goods when compared to the traditional areas whose growth is stunt or on a marginal level. With the brisk expansion, non traditional areas next step would be to bring out specialty coffee out of their regions just similar to traditional one like Mysore nuggets, Pulneys, Anamalais, etc.

The best possible way for planters it may either be small, large, traditional or non traditional area growers, to find a quick market with a better pricing for their produce is by way of profiling their produce (coffee) and their growing areas. It would ease the process for buyer to decide whether to go for the bag or not as the buyer will know what kind of coffee beans he wants for his business.

2012-02-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

Based on these statistics, we are given a healthy picture of small planters/farmers in the forefront in the coffee growing market but the story is the other way around where the large planters, middle-men & business conglomerate rule the market by way of contract farming of small holdings.

Coffee Plantation holding pattern in INDIA

2012-02-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

Coffee Plantation holding pattern in INDIA	2007-08	% of total	2008-09	% of total	2009-10	% of total	2010-11	% of total
Small Holdings <10 hectares	218116	98.77	243648	98.91	255042	98.98	266936	99.02
Large Holdings >10 hectares	2709	1.23	2674	1.09	2630	1.02	2629	0.98
Total	220825	100	246322	100	257672	100	269565	100

Why does coffee sell at a higher price?

2012-02-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

Coffee trees start full blooming only after 3-5 years after planting.
A fully grown coffee tree bears anywhere between 250-375 gms of coffee cherries per season.

Do you know coffee contain less caffeine than tea?

2012-02-09T06:18:00.001-08:00

Coffee growing regions-II

2012-02-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

Coffees best grow between tropical belts (Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn). Just similar to human beings coffee too get their qualities half from their parents (in this case coffee tree) and the remaining from their surroundings (altitude, soil, sunshine, rainfall & plants/trees that grow or grown near the coffee plant) which offer them an individual character.

There are only two varieties of coffee species that are grown commercially on large scale and they are as follows:

• Coffea Arabica

• Coffea Canephora (also known as Robusta)

But there are approximately 80 species known throughout the world under the Rubiacee family, Coffea genus.

A small statistics about coffee by growing regions:

Geographically, Coffea Arabica makes up 70% of world coffee production and are divided as follows:

20% South America (excluding Brazil)
34% Brazil (Natural)
30% Central America
10% Africa
6% Asia

Coffea Robusta accounts for 30% of world production.

32% Africa
55% Asia
13% Brazil

Starbucks to open 30-50 cafes this year in India

2012-02-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Tata & Starbucks to open 30-50 cafes this year in India and planning to open around 2000 stores in a span of 5 years which is much more than Cafe Coffee Day (CCD's) numbers at present. To begin with they are starting from the capital New Delhi and commercial capital Mumbai then other places. They coming up with a strategy to serve you where ever in a city say from airport, railway station to malls, exhibitions, colleges, hospital and highways just as you think of any place they will be planning to open one over there.

Is it the start of doldrums for Indian coffee shops?

2012-02-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

Is it the start of doldrums for India start up individual & Chain coffee shops?

Of course not, it was very clearly mentioned by Mr. John Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, that their pricing would be on a premium segment and the experience in the store would justify it. But our India grown coffee shops will face a crunch of foot fall as most of their customers will be eager to check the latest addition to the list of coffee shops, their offerings and how they differ from the existing ones, there is a 50-50 chance for the transition from the existing coffee shops to the new ones, that too mostly people who didn’t got to feel the real coffee shop experience as most of the coffee shops in our city, country turn in to a she-e-sha /hukka parlor after a short duration for their very survival spoiling the ultimate coffee shop experience and turning them into a smoking den, most of the sheesha parlors run with a blanket in the name of cafes. It is this scenario that keeps the ultimate coffee lovers, people who would love to spend their leisure time and those who want to finish their discussions & business meeting with a cup of coffee in an informal ambience.

It is “The time” for our local & neighborhood shops to pull their socks and keep abreast of what is going on in the industry and should maintain the standards, it is not an uphill task to run a coffee shop according to standards it’s as easy as running a show, it’s our attitude towards our customers that has to change, we should not take advantage of our customers ignorance about the drinks and serve them with a dead shot of espresso or scalded milk in a latte or a cappuccino, with the walk in of the giant (Starbucks Coffee), people would be well-informed of the quality standards & about the coffee in specific, so the very old “Kuch bi Chaltha Hai” concept wont work anymore. It is either meet up to the standards of the industry or perish, it’s that simple.

Alarm bell has already started ringing for owners who just considered coffee shop into a money making machine and was running with out professional knowledge or a back up.

MNC coffee shops didn’t come straight from the moon or sun they too will be serving the same coffee and the food that is being produced or procured locally but it is the knowledge about the product that they serve or offer, the research about the customers preferences and the standards they follow that differentiates from others and made them the pioneers in the industry, don’t we India grown coffee shops have the guts to follow the same and give in addition a personal touch which cant be extended by any MNC’s and render a tough competition & enlighten customers experience in our stores.

Tata Global Beverages and pioneer of coffee shop culture Starbucks form joint venture to open Starbucks cafés across India

2012-02-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

Tata Global Beverages Limited and Starbucks Coffee Company announce a joint venture between the iconic international coffee brand and the 2nd largest branded tea company in the world.

The 50/50 joint venture, named TATA Starbucks Limited, will own and operate Starbucks cafés which will be branded as Starbucks Coffee “A Tata Alliance.”

The retail stores will be developed in cities across the country, beginning with stores in Delhi and Mumbai in calendar 2012.

In a separate sourcing and roasting agreement between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Coffee Limited, Tata Coffee Limited will roast coffee to supply TATA Starbucks Limited, and to export to Starbucks Coffee Company.

This agreement paves the way for consumers in India to enjoy the premium Starbucks Experience, while further discovering the unique taste of high-quality Indian arabica coffee worldwide.

TATA Starbucks Limited brings together two companies with a rich heritage in and passion for coffee, tea and innovative beverages. Together, the JV will enable an expanded range of beverage offerings for Indian consumers.

As an example, the companies have agreed to jointly leverage assets and innovation to offer a premium tea product branded Tata Tazo.

“The joint venture with Starbucks is in line with Tata Global Beverages’ strategy of growing through strategic alliances in addition to organic and inorganic growth,” stated Mr. R K Krishnakumar, Vice Chairman, Tata Global Beverages.

“It opens up exciting business opportunities and new formats for Tata Global Beverages. Starbucks brings unique retail expertise as well as a shared sense of business values.

We are excited about the opportunities the alliance presents to innovate in the retail space and bring new beverage experiences to more consumers in India, leveraging the global in-home expertise of Tata Global Beverages and the global out-of-home expertise of Starbucks.”

“We’re very pleased to have found the best partner for Starbucks in Tata – a company that shares so many of the same values for conducting business in a way that earns the trust and respect of our customers and partners (employees),” said John Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific.

“We look forward to bringing the Starbucks Experience to customers in India by offering high quality arabica coffee, handcrafted beverages, locally relevant food, and legendary service.”

The TATA Starbucks Limited joint venture will operate cafés under the Quick Service Restaurant category. This partnership will enable the introduction of the unique Starbucks Experience to Indian consumers.

Through a separate coffee sourcing and roasting agreement, Starbucks and Tata Coffee Limited will work toward developing and improving the profile of Indian-grown arabica coffees around the world by elevating the stature of Indian coffee through joint marketing efforts, as well as improving the quality of coffee through sustainable practices and advanced agronomy solutions.

Starbucks and Tata share common values of responsible business ethics and a commitment to community. Tata Coffee Limited has been working to improve the lives of coffee growing communities in the State of Karnataka.

Through an initial financial commitment, Starbucks will work with Tata to support 'Swastha,' a school for children with special needs (in partnership with the Coorg Foundation) and aim to increase its capacity and outreach into the rural communities in the coffee growing region of Karnataka.

Tata Coffee Limited and Starbucks also plan to work together on initiatives including the promotion of responsible agronomy practices and the provision of training for local farmers, technicians and agronomists to improve their coffee-growing and milling skills, along with exploring community projects which could positively impact the communities in the coffee growing regions where Tata is active.

About Starbucks Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest-quality arabica coffee in the world.

Today, with more than 17,000 stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world.

Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup.

To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com .

About Tata Global Beverages and Tata Coffee Tata Global Beverages is a part of the global Tata Group. Tata Global Beverages is a global beverage business and the world’s second largest tea company.

The group’s annual turnover is US $1.5 bn and it employs around 3000 people worldwide. The Company focuses on ‘good for you’ beverages and has a stable of innovative regional and global beverage brands, including Tata Tea, Tetley, Himalayan natural mineral water and Eight O’ Clock Coffee.

For more information, please visit www.tataglobalbeverages.com .

Tata Coffee is a subsidiary of Tata Global Beverages. It is Asia’s largest coffee plantation company and the 3rd largest exporter of instant coffee in the country.

The Company produces more than 10,000 MT of shade grown Arabica and Robusta coffees at its 19 estates in South India and its two Instant Coffee manufacturing facilities have a combined installed capacity of 6000 metric tonnes.

It exports green coffee to countries in Europe, Asia, Middle East and North America. Tata Coffee’s farms are triple certified: Utz, Rainforest Alliance and SA8000, reinforcing its commitment to the people and the environment.

Coffee growing regions of India

2012-02-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

Let me straight away walk into the growing regions of coffee in India which can be divided into Traditional and Non-Traditional,

With traditional being states of

Karnataka (largest producer of coffee)
Tamilnadu
Kerala

Whereas non-traditional are the states of

Andhra(Visakhapatnam)
Orissa
Assam
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Tripura
Nagaland
Arunachal Pradesh.

Welcome to Coffee Nirvana

2012-02-04T03:50:00.000-08:00

Have a great pleasure in welcoming you to Coffee Nirvana blog, this is a place dedicated totally to share & talk anything about beverage and on some instances about food, when you say of beverages immediately the first thing that comes to our mind is the fresh aroma of filter coffee that hit your senses every day morning, serve the daily dose of caffeine and making you refreshing & whole day fresh.

Just feel of holding a cup of freshly brewed filter coffee in one hand and enjoying every slurp of the drink while peeping to your newspaper is a heavenly pleasure which have no words to explain but to experience for your self.

Come on don’t get carried away, in this blog we are not going to talk only about our world famous filter coffee but also about other forms and much importantly about coffee as a whole, their market, daily happenings, their impact on the environment (eco system, producer, intermediates & consumers), equipments, people, certifications and much, much more………………..

This is a platform where much knowledge sharing and discussions should and will take place. We also welcome your valuable inputs and impart of knowledge about the beverages that you love to share with our beloved coffeizens. We want bring this blog as a coffee encyclopedia