Indulge in the steaming world of coffee and the coffee plantations in this exceptional café-cum-museum in the Araku Valley.
Detailing the history of the aromatic beverage, the Coffee Museum remarkably stands out in the tribal settings of Araku Valley. This unique museum is an intrinsic part of an upmarket coffee house that serves coffee, chocolates, sandwiches, brownies and more. Celebrating all things coffee-ish, the ‘Araku Valley Coffee House’ serves all types of coffees, both drinkable and edible! This includes various kinds of coffee based chocolates, brownies, mousses and tarts, as well as coffee mugs and other paraphernalia like posters. But what sets it apart from any other coffee cafés is the coffee-museum. Called the Sampoorna Coffee Gallery, it showcases via dioramas, the origins of coffee in Ethiopia and its journey all the way to the Araku Valley.
The concept was developed and created by a migrant to the Araku valley, Prakash Rao. In 1930, he set up a general catering service here, primarily for tourists. Realising the uniqueness of the coffee produced in Araku valley, one of the few places in India that grows Arabica coffee as opposed to the more commonly grown Robusta coffee, he worked on highlighting Araku Coffee. Consequently, in 1954 he opened a Coffee house with a Coffee Museum. Till recently this coffee haven was open only to foreign delegates and coffee traders, however now it has thrown its doors open to one and all.
Open throughout the year, this museum is manned by a staff of educated tribal folk who are also coffee growers themselves. It offers educational entertainment in the form of the dioramas detailing the history of coffee and a Dhimsa Dance at six in the evening, every day. Marketing an impressive 60 varieties of coffee, including select coffees like Luwak coffee, bird parchment and monkey parchment, the café also sells 600 varieties of coffee-chocolates.
Timings: 8AM to 8PM everyday
Ticket: Rs.10
Location:
Araku Valley
Discussion about this post