There are two main varieties of coffee grown in India- Arabica and Robusta. Arabica has a better flavor while Robusta has thicker liquor. The Robusta bush is larger and has bigger leaves than Arabica.
December brings a rush of activities. The coffee beans are coated with ash and dried at room temperature for twenty days. The beans are then put into nurseries. A thin layer of soil is put on them and then they are covered with straw and watered everyday. A shelter about two meters high is put up to prevent the hot sun beating down on the seedlings. After two months the seedlings are put in polythene bags and left in the shade until June. During this time big pits are dug about two meters away from each other on the side of the hills and filled with humus. Just before the monsoon starts, the seedlings are planted in the pits.
The estate is weeded, sprayed with pesticides, manures and mulched (wet straw put around the roots) at regular intervals. The plants grow to a height of about three quarters of a meter during the second year. At this time the top leaves are removed to avoid splitting. This process is called topping.
Earlier, crops were entirely dependent on blossoms showers but now, especially on small acreages, blossom is inducted by machine sprinkling. Arms of the feathery spray lifting the blossoms in circles above the coffee bushes are a common sight. To make sure of the crop next season, this should be followed by another shower in a few days. This called a backing shower.
During the third year of their lives the plant blossoms with jets of white flowers rather like the Jasmine in shape and smell. These soon turn brown at the edges and form small green berries. They grow larger and turn a bright red by the month of December. These cherries are not all ready to be picked at the same time. So there are several rounds of picking. The picking is generally done by women and children, who are more nimble.
The whole cherries are dried for about two weeks, and then they are sent to the pulp house, where the red outer skin and mucilage is washed off with lots of water. All the waste is put back the soil as manure. The coffee seeds are then dried. Later they sent to the curing works where a thin parchment known as the silver skin is removed. At this stage the beans are ready to be roasted and ground into power for a cheery cup of coffee.
Suresh enjoyed himself on his uncle’s plantation and after learning about the whole process of making coffee powder he could appreciate his cup of coffee all the more!