The story of South Indian filter coffee

T he unique taste of South India’s filter coffee has three to four distinct contributors. First, the coffee powder with a chicory mix of between 10% and 40% contributes body, a mellow bitterness and an earthy character. According to How to Brew South Indian Filter Coffee on the website Indian Coffee Beans, the preferred texture for the powder is medium fine — that of fine sand or table salt — so that water moves through it steadily. If it’s too coarse, water passes through too quickly, producing a pale, thin decoction. If it’s too fine, the grounds can block the flow, leading to an over-extracted result.