Discovering the Remotest Coffee in India: A Story of Passion, Perseverance and Partnership

If you are a coffee lover, you might have tried many kinds of coffee from around the world. But have you ever heard of coffee from the Northeast region of India? This is a region to some of the finest coffee beans that are grown in unique microclimates and soil conditions. However, not many people are aware of this fact, even within India.

How Coffee Came to the Northeast

According to the Coffee Board of India, coffee cultivation in the Northeast region started at Cachar District of Assam in 1853. However, it was not until the 1970s that commercial cultivation began at Garo Hills (Meghalaya) to wean away local community from Jhum cultivation practices.

The Coffee Board of India introduced coffee as an alternative crop that could provide income and employment to the local farmers while also preserving the natural resources.

How 7000 Steps Discovered Coffee in the Northeast

7000 Steps is a brand that was born out of Zizira, our parent company. We believe Northeast has a lot of untapped potential in its resources.

One of the resources that we discovered was naturally grown coffee in very remote areas, what we started to refer to as ‘remotest coffee’. We found out that there are many farmers in Meghalaya who grow coffee but do not have access to a stable market or a fair price for their produce. We also learned that the coffee from Northeast has a unique flavor and aroma due to the microclimates, higher elevation and soil conditions.

We wanted to help these farmers and bring their coffee to the world. But it was not an easy task. We had to face many challenges and overcome many obstacles.

Our name 7000 Steps comes from our experience of trekking down around 7000 real steps to a village in a remote canyon in Meghalaya. This village is one of the places where we source our coffee from. The only way to reach this village is by walking along ancient paths made of stones that link these villages and are the “roads” where goods are transported in Khoh (baskets).

Over the past many years, our team has hiked down to many different remote villages, developed relationships with farmers, sharing learning and growing together. Our team is committed to building lasting relationships and we knew that the best and most authentic way to do that was to hike down and meet these farmers face to face.

The journey has taken years - building trust and respect with these farmers. It has taken many hikes, many conversations and many camping trips to get to where we are now and to bring you a memorable cup of coffee.

7000 Steps coffee is not just a beverage, it is a story. A story of passion, perseverance, and partnership. A story of discovering remotest coffee and creating value for everyone involved.

If you are looking for something new and exciting in your cup, you should try our novelty coffee from the Northeast.

We hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and learned something new about coffee from the Northeast region of India. If you want to know more about us or order our coffee, please visit our website or follow us on social media.