I wait breathing in deeply the uplifting smell of freshly ground coffee beans. My coffee arrives and my enthusiasm dips as it arrives, not in the traditional tumbler but a big white ceramic cup. But, a sip changes all that and I sink deeper into my seat as my exhaustion drains away. I am at Hut Arabica located in East Point Colony. The Girijan Cooperative Corporation’s (GCC) coffee shop serves over 20 varieties of coffee - the beans all sourced from Araku Valley. These are categorised into hot beverages and cold coffee varieties.
Araku Coffee on display at the Hut Arabica
GCC has done a good job of promoting the Araku coffee as the walls are peppered with big-framed photographs of tribals of the valley there who grow the coffee, along with a variety of coffee for sale on display in tin cans and small gunny bags. The classic filter coffee has been the crowd puller. It is only on hot and humid days that the sales of cold coffee overtakes the filter coffee,” says S Ashok Kumar, General Manager (marketing) of GCC.
- There are three variations of ground Arabica coffee grown in the valley. Besides the 100 % pure coffee, there are blends with 40 % chocory and another with 30 % of chicory called Vaisakhi. All the beverages served at the coffee house are made from beans procured from 11 mandals of Araku Valley.
I go back to the cafe soon. This time I come there seeking respite from the heat and humidity outdoors and order a cold Latte with chocolate. The serving is generous and arrives in a tall glass, almost a meal in itself if you have a small appetite. The subtly sweet drink has fine balance of chocolate and coffee with neither flavour dominating.
- Hits Filter coffee
- Misses None
- Cost ₹ 30 to ₹75
- 2796164
The space indoors is a compact and cosy one and can seat only about a dozen people. Though there is a huge outdoors, sitting there is weather-dependent.
