What is Monsooned Coffee?

Ever heard of coffee being described as monsooned?

One of the most well-known coffees in India is a monsooned coffee; Monsoon Malabar. It is created by a process called ‘Monsooning’, but what is Monsooned Coffee? Well keep reading, and all shall be revealed.

When coffee was transported from India to Europe during the British Raj, it was sent over in wooden boxes. As I’m sure you can imagine, these wooden boxes were no match for the fierce monsoon months that India is known for. Over time, the beans would absorb a considerable amount of moisture from the rain which had a significant effect on the beans.

Years later, the demand for this coffee was growing and growing so to keep up; factories were built along the West Cast of India where ‘monsooning’ became a controlled, and not an accidental process.

Monsooned Coffee – How Is It All Done?

Monsooning is saved for naturally (sun-dried) processed coffees, rather than its washed or semi-washed siblings. The ‘monsooning’ process can take between 12 – 16 weeks for the full effect to be had on the beans. Winds from the Arabian Sea provide moisture for the beans without getting them wet. During this time the beans soak up the moisture, grow in size, change colour and lose their acidity. ‘Monsooned’ coffees have the lowest acidity levels of any coffee in the world. After the process is complete, the beans will be very pale in colour and look quite brittle.

What About Quality?

Luckily, times have changed and the beans are no longer transported in wooden boxes. However, because of their brittle nature, the beans are often damaged in the packing process. This is nothing to worry about and doesn’t lower the quality or grade of the coffee; it’s just a result of the ‘monsooning’ process.

The Taste

As mentioned before, ‘moonsooned’ coffee loses its acidity. As a result of this loss in acidity, the coffee will have very strong and pungent flavours, leading to mixed opinions about it. Some love the coffees strong and unique flavours while others miss the acidity and think the flavours are too overpowering and are the result of defective processing. You will also notice that ‘monsooned’ coffee has a hint of spice too which has divided opinions further.

Our Coffees

Although our coffees at Two Chimps are not processed using the ‘monsoon’ process, they still taste amazing! We currently hand roast six single origin coffees from across the globe. Currently, we have coffees from Costa Rica, Brazil and Nicaragua to name just a few.

Our coffees are speciality coffees meaning they are a higher grade of coffee than commodity coffee. We source from small farms and cooperatives with the help of an importer. Doing this keeps the supply chain shorter, meaning more money makes it back to the farm and its workers.

In conclusion

So, there we have it. Impress your friends and colleagues with a little monsooned coffee knowledge!

Thirsty? Check out our online shop for a full list of our freshly roasted speciality coffees, all with fast and free 1st class tracked delivery over £25

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