How did coffee come to India?

 How did coffee come to India? 

Recently, I found this story of how coffee came to India. I find it very amusing and so I decided to share it here.

This is the story of Baba Badun. Baba Badun  was a Sufi pilgrim from the 17th century. He traveled to Mecca for Hajj. On his way back, he tasted a very enchanting drink in Yemen. He fell in love with this drink. That was coffee! 

He wanted to grow coffee in India. However, this was not possible. In those days, people of Yemen only supplied roasted or baked coffee beans. They were used to make the drink but cannot be used for farming. They did this to keep less competition and stay strong in the coffee market. They offered Baba Badun to take these processed beans but taking raw coffee beans out of the country was a crime. Baba Badun on the other hand was determined to have coffee in India. So he showed his incredible wit. Unbeknownst to the people of Yemen, as he was coming back to India, seven raw coffee beans were accompanying him. Do you know how he managed to smuggle out these beans, risking the death penalty? This is the best part! He hid seven raw coffee beans in his beard. 

He planted the beans on the slopes of Chandragiri Hills in Chikkamagalur district Kingdom of Mysore, (present day, Karnataka). With a simple act, he changed the course of history. India is currently the seventh largest exporter of coffee and 70% of it comes from Karnataka. This is how a witty Sufi pilgrim gifted India, the treasure that is coffee. 

Be sure to thank him the next time you enjoy this amazing drink!!! ☕️