A Taste of Coorg
Brunch|Feburary 20, 2022
Go to this picturesque coffee-growing region with an appetite for a unique cuisine and distinctive experiences
Riaan Jacob George
A Taste of Coorg
Driving just five hours down a smooth highway from Bengaluru, I spent a long weekend in Coorg, interacting with some of its local entrepreneurs, signing up for off-beat experiences and enjoying some of the most beautiful roads in the southern peninsula. Far from the tourist throngs, I spent the weekend finding unique things to do.

#NowTrending

Walking through lush green coffee plantations with retired serviceman Ganapathy, I received an articulate explanation on the farm-to-cup process. The swashbuckling Ganapathy's stately colonial mansion sits plum in the middle of a large family-run coffee estate, supplying beans to a larger chain of wholesalers and producers. For a coffee addict like me, this was a fascinating experience.

Later that morning, over a cup of freshly brewed Coorg filter coffee, I chatted with his daughter, Anjali, who runs the hugely popular Bengaluru-based Pigout Coorg Kitchen.

Kodava cuisine is unique and completely undiscovered in India, right from the ingredients and meat we use to the cooking styles, Anjali said. Through my food, our homestay and this coffee estate, we want to put Coorg on the map in the most experiential way possible.

As Anjali laid out a spread of her famous pandi (pork) curry, pumpkin curry and rice (akki) rotis, I realised that the Ganapathys' little universe is a destination on the verge of a major tourism revolution.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BRUNCHView all
Let's tri all the angles
Brunch

Let's tri all the angles

BFFs falling for the same girl, kidnap twists, murders, bromances. These 10 three-way love stories play with geometry and our feelings

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Should you Q up for this?
Brunch

Should you Q up for this?

Audi's luxury SUV, the Q8, has had a refresh. But a sleeker grille and headlight tech don't make up for what's still missing

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
How to plan a great escape
Brunch

How to plan a great escape

It's getting colder. It's already hard to breathe. Why not plan a winter vacation that's a world away but not too far away?

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Kababs, yes, but khandvi too
Brunch

Kababs, yes, but khandvi too

Mughlai cuisine has as many vegetarian dishes as meaty ones. A new translation of a 16th century manuscript shows how we ate, and why modern labels are pointless

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
I can be your hero
Brunch

I can be your hero

Gurfateh Pirzada, only afewroles old, is the green flag we didn't know we needed. He's learning from women. He wants to be more thana lover and a fighter. He's hoping we all do better. No wonder everyone's crushing on him

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Meet the export experts
Brunch

Meet the export experts

Khadi crop-tops in Spain, faux-leather hoodies in London, fairytale wedding gowns in the UAE. See how some desi labels are killing it on foreign shores

time-read
3 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Why we're all feeling Blue
Brunch

Why we're all feeling Blue

Coco Mellors's new novel is about grief, sisterhood, and of course, addiction and unlikeable women. How does she make it work?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 09, 2024
This week, we're...
Brunch

This week, we're...

Changing the momo game, listening to kids, starting a new business, and supporting pro waxxers

time-read
2 mins  |
November 09, 2024
Rohit Chawla
Brunch

Rohit Chawla

Photographer, artist, @RohitChawlaPhotography_

time-read
1 min  |
November 02, 2024
Congratulations, it's a goal
Brunch

Congratulations, it's a goal

Lakeside vows, pastel palettes, bayous, backyards and boats. These celeb weddings are what modern fairytales are made of

time-read
2 mins  |
November 02, 2024