Coffee from Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia, a beautiful land which is located between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, is made of over 16.000 mountainous and volcanic islands. From these, we highlight Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. They offer the ideal environment for growing coffee thanks to their location: just south of the equator. Considering this, the taste can't be anything less than amazing. Let's discover what other factors contribute to this amazing natural product.

A peek into the history

For Indonesia, everything began in the late 1600s, when Dutch settlers smuggled coffee beans from Yemen to the island of Java. Less than a hundred years later, the bourbon beans flourished like no other, therefore showing how well they fit in that climate. The success was so big that around that same time, Yemen began commercially exporting the arabica beans. Seizing the opportunity, the Dutch colonists established large arabica plantations in the mid-1800s in more places than just the Java island: in Sulawesi, Bali, Timor and Sumatra too. Even though the coffee plantations had such great results, they became a successful cash crop only in the 1920s. This mainly happened because around that same time, the coffee was put in the hands of small landowners. The same people benefited from a boost in 1945 when many foreign-lands plantations were nationalized, due to Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch.

In present, Indonesia proudly takes a place in the top ten coffee producers in the world, which is a stunning achievement considering that more than 90% of the nation’s coffee is naturally grown by the same small landowners, who have no more than 1 hectare each. They also still use the same old traditional techniques, like the wet-hulling method known as Giling Basah.

What is Giling Basah?

Like we previously mentioned, it is a wet-processing method, and here's how it's done: after the coffee cherries are harvested, the outer skin is mechanically removed by locally built pulping machines. After this, because the beans are still covered in the sticky mucilage, they are stored for about a day, time in which the natural fermentation process occurs and breaks down the stickiness. After this, the beans which are still protected by a parchment hull, are washed off and then let out to dry. 

Now, what sets Giling Basah apart from the traditional method is that the beans are hulled when they reach about a 30%-35% moisture content, still being semi-wet. Only after this they are let to dry until they reach the exportable 12%. This unique method gives the beans a distinctive bluish-green color, while also reducing the acidity levels and increasing the body.

Another name for Giling Basah is ”goat’s foot”, because the green coffee beans usually get a split on one end and end up resembling a cloven hoof.

More about the taste!

Indonesian coffees are valued for their one of a kind flavours, which give off a velvety mouthfeel and earth tones. This is mostly because they are grown in volcanic ash, amongst plants of chilli and other spices. Other nature-related factors that have a say in the final product are the ocean mist, soaring heights and natural old growth forests. Of course, each region has its unique characteristics, which also result in a different taste. 

In Bali, a famous tourist attraction, is located east of Java and is also known, more or less, for the coffee it produces, like kopi luwak, or civet. As it is located near the Mount Batur volcano, the rich soil produces a complex woody and delicately spiced citrus taste, with a weighty, silky, body, and a low acidity.

On the other hand, the Flores island offers a sweet, chocolatey coffee, with floral and earth tones. This is a result of cross-breeding between the Java beans and the ones that were brought to Flores by the Portuguese traders. Also, the local conditions include altitudes higher than 7.500 meters, fertile volcanic ash soil and an overall perfect climate. 

The famous Java island is the home of Indonesian coffee. Due to the high altitudes (more than 4.500 meters) and volcanic soil, the coffee plants absorb easily all of the nutrients that create the rich, full-bodied taste, with chocolate undertones and spicy chili overtones that have taken over the world of coffee. 

Papua is the Indonesian part of New Guinea and was historically known as Irian Java. It is also split in two primary growing regions, the Baliem Valley and the Kamu Valley. Here, the altitudes are also more than 4.500 meters and the factor that makes Papua stand out is the natural shade canopy. This results in a silky, syrupy coffee, with a rich chocolate base and sweet-spiced maple upper tones.

So, what do you think? It seems like Indonesian coffee is definitely worth a try, especially if you happen to be a gourmand in the coffee world. The unique spicy aromas are the main focus point here, which makes this coffee so much more desirable than it already was. We can't wait to hear your opinion on this one!