For all your filter kaapi needs in Australia, there’s Malgudi Days.
For tracing kaapi back to its roots, you’ve got a series of filter kaapi trails back home that have preserved the beauty of one of the biggest cultural phenomena in South India.
As you journey through these places, you’ll realise just how deeply rooted filter kaapi is in the lives of people and just how much the culture means to them.
This blog post is one you’ll want to save the next time you’re planning a trip to India.
The Temple-Town Experience
Known as the city of temples, Kumbakonam is a key landmark in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Everyone who has ever claimed to love filter kaapi knows just how important this region is to the kaapi culture. Kumbakonam is not only known for the brass tumblers used in brewing kaapi, but is also home to the legendary Degree Coffee - a tradition of using pure cow milk of high quality to make filter kaapi.
The temple town culture also spreads to the cities of Madurai and Thanjavur. There, you’ll find some of the best spots to try authentic kaapi.
Nestled close to the temples are kaapi stalls that serve as a reminder of how kaapi can be as much a spiritual experience as visits to temples.
Coffee in the Countryside
An experience of a lifetime, plantation stays in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu bring you away from the bustle of the city. They draw your attention to the countryside where the coffee plantations are a sight for sore eyes.
You’ll be surrounded by green hills in all directions, an endless promise of coffee to be cultivated and harvested.
These estates offer tours and coffee tastings that are a highlight of the stay. You can go on morning walks and enjoy local delicacies, too, that pair well with kaapi.
If you’re a traveller at heart, such immersive kaapi experiences bring endless joy, and you’ll find yourself telling all your friends about it.
Roadside Stalls & Train Stations
Even in the most developed regions of India, roadside stalls stand proud in nooks and crannies of streets. Interestingly enough, sometimes, they also draw bigger crowds compared to the more established F&B premises.
The comfort of sipping on a cup of piping hot filter kaapi at a stall is one that many would vouch for, especially when the owner recognises you as one of the regulars and prepares your kaapi exactly as you love it.
Little needs to be said about train stations & bus stops. The lure of filter kaapi is almost impossible to escape as vendors walk around, calling out “kaapi kaapi”.
If you’ve taken a train across South India, you’d remember that some of the most memorable moments of your journey were waiting for the vendor to approach your berth and enjoying the passing scenery as you’d savour every last drop of the kaapi.
Urban Coffee Culture
We all know the role the Indian Coffee House played in boosting café culture in India.
Alongside this chain, several other popular shops like Saravana Bhavan and Madras Coffee House have become household names.
They contain an irresistible old-world charm. People begin their day with a plate of idli-sambar or pongal served with a steel tumbler of steaming filter kaapi while a constant chatter drones on in the background.
Moreover, new specialty kaapi spots in the city also host crowds of office-goers and friends who find the new blends and brewing techniques just as appealing.
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