The Untold History of Tea and Coffee in India | A Century of Stories: India

From A Century Of Stories by IVM Podcasts

April 7, 2026 · 48 min · Season 1 · Episode 92

About this episode

This episode explores the fascinating history of tea and coffee in India and their impact on the country's drinking culture.

For most Indians, the day begins with a cup of chai. But India’s relationship with tea and coffee has a far more fascinating history than we often realize. In this episode of A Century of Stories: India, Kunal Vijayakar sits down with Bhavi Patel to explore how tea and coffee travelled across continents and eventually shaped India’s drinking culture. From the legendary story of Baba Budan bringing coffee seeds to India to the rise of South Indian filter coffee, this episode traces the cultural and historical history of Indian beverages. They also examine the dominance of chai tapris and cafes across the country and the boom in drinks like matcha. Watch the full episode of A Century of Stories: India as. Bhavi Patel uncovers the surprising story behind two of India’s most beloved beverages. Episode out now! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Kunal Vijayakar

Guest: Bhavi Patel

Topics covered

tea
coffee
Indian beverages
cultural history
drinking culture
chai
filter coffee

Keywords

tea
coffee
India
chai
cultural history
Baba Budan
filter coffee
matcha

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: A Century of Stories

Products: matcha

Places: India