Kerala's robusta heartland, at roughly 600-900 m, with cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla intercropped.
Wayanad is Kerala's principal coffee district, on a plateau in the Western Ghats (Wikipedia calls it the only plateau in Kerala). ICB puts its coffee at roughly 600-900 m, with about 54,000 MT a year, dominated by robusta and commonly intercropped with cardamom, nutmeg and vanilla. Wayanad Robusta Coffee is a registered GI (2018-19). The district's own page describes harvesting from December to February and a full-bodied, aromatic cup that is used for blending with arabica and for espresso.
Field notes
- i
Wayanad Robusta Coffee was registered as a GI in 2018-19, one of only two Indian coffee GIs (with Monsooned Malabar Robusta) for robusta rather than arabica.
- ii
Despite its size, Wayanad's robusta is almost entirely absent from ICB's specialty catalog.
- iii
Wayanad's district page dates its first coffee experiments to 1825, when Captain Bevan moved plants from Anjarakandy to Manantoddy, and counts about 60,000 acres of coffee by 1869.
- iv
Coffee covers 67,426 ha of Wayanad, about 90% of Kerala's coffee area, and the Coffee Board's 2022-23 table shows no arabica at all, only robusta.
In the cup, according to guides
- BodyMoreWayanad's district administration describes its robusta as softish to neutral in the cup and full-bodied, with an intense aroma.
- ChocolateOften notedThe same district page notes a subtle hint of chocolate.
Within Wayanad
Sources · 7 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Geographical indications in India · Wikimedia Foundation
- Coffee Regions of India: A Complete Guide · Indian Coffee Beans (roaster/retailer)
- Wayanad district · Wikimedia Foundation
- Indian Coffee Regions · Coffee Geography Magazine
- Wayanad Robusta Coffee · Wayanad District Administration, Government of Kerala
- Coffee Board of India: coffee regions and grades · Coffee Board of India
- Database on Coffee, July 2023 · Coffee Board of India, Market Intelligence Unit