Coffee origin, India (Karnataka)
Baba Budan Giri
Baba Budan Giri is a hill range in Chikmagalur, named after the saint said to have brought the first coffee beans to India.
- Taste Sweet and clean, with notes of chocolate, caramel and spice, and a medium body.
- Where India (Karnataka)
Written by the KAIVO team, Mumbai. Last updated 4 November 2026. Cite as: KAIVO, "Baba Budan Giri", kaivo.in/pages/origin-baba-budan-giri
Baba Budan Giri, also called the Bababudan Hills, is a range in Chikmagalur district that includes some of the highest peaks in Karnataka. Coffee has been grown on its slopes for a very long time, and the range is named after Baba Budan, who legend says brought seven beans from Yemen. The high, cool, misty climate suits Arabica, and many estates here grow shade coffee.
Questions
Who was Baba Budan?
Baba Budan is a Sufi saint who, according to a famous story, carried seven coffee beans from Yemen to India around the 1600s, and planted them in these hills.