How Good are Indonesian Coffee Beans? How to Brew Indonesian Coffee? What are the Best Indonesian Coffees?

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The Coffee Belt: Global Coffee Growing Regions

There are more than 50 countries in the world that grow coffee, and you'll find that most of them are located within the coffee belt region. This area, as its name suggests, wraps around the Earth, covering parts of the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The coffee belt region is primarily situated in the equatorial zone, extending north and south to Mexico and Myanmar in the northernmost reaches, and to Zimbabwe and Brazil in the southernmost extension.

Coffee Origins and Flavor Profiles

The wide variety of coffee-growing countries, different origins, and diverse growing environments all affect the taste of coffee. Below, I'll briefly introduce several common coffee-producing regions.

As a consumer, you might discover that you enjoy the fruity notes in Ethiopian coffee, the balanced sweetness in Guatemalan coffee, or the heavy spices from Indonesian coffee. People want to experience different and interesting coffee flavors, but appreciation for original flavors is also quite valuable.

Moreover, different countries face various challenges, such as low income, political instability, and coffee pests and diseases.

Asian Coffee Regions

Asia has vast land areas and many different coffee varieties in its coffee-growing regions. The most famous include Indonesia—where coffee is known for its distinctive smoky, herbal, and spicy notes; and Vietnamese coffee beans, which have obvious fruit flavors and high body. Vietnam primarily produces Robusta coffee beans, which are mainly bitter with less aromatic complexity.

Of course, there are also many lesser-known but promising regions for growing quality coffee. Coffee from Papua New Guinea offers bayberry-like juicy acidity, noticeable sweetness, and unique spice flavors. The Philippines, Thailand, Fiji, Bali, and other places are also coffee-producing regions with distinctive flavors.

Soil and Climate Factors

So why do coffees from different regions taste so different from each other? This leads to two key environmental factors: soil and climate.

Soil is related to topography, climate, and environment. The Galápagos Islands are a good example. This area straddles the equator, and you might imagine it's in a hot climate year-round—however, this isn't suitable for growing high-quality coffee. Additionally, the low altitude terrain might lead people to lower their expectations. Generally speaking, specialty coffee grows in high-altitude, cool environments where coffee has a longer growth cycle, enough time to develop sweetness, and other more complex flavors.

However, this small island has surprised consumers with high-quality coffee, all thanks to the influence of the island's unique cold sea breezes and the cold Humboldt Current from northern Chile, which have created excellent coffee quality.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic country, having introduced Arabica coffee cultivation as early as the 18th century during Dutch rule. The main production areas are located on the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi. The Mandheling coffee produced there has deep, low-acidity, and full-bodied characteristics, leading people to call it "the world's most important coffee." It is also the world's fourth-largest producer with an annual output of 7 million bags. Coffee is harvested twice a year, mainly from May to June and September to October, with Sumatra and Aceh provinces having the largest production. Coffee farms are relatively small, around 1-3 hectares. Indonesian Mandheling coffee is typically processed using the semi-washed method. Coffee farmers remove the external skin and pulp of ripe coffee beans but retain the thin membrane on the beans. After a water soaking and fermentation process, unripe beans that float on the surface are removed, while dense, sunken good beans with their surface membrane are sun-dried (either elevated or directly on the ground). Finally, dryers are used to achieve uniform moisture content. The most unique aspect is that coffee beans wrapped in parchment and membrane maintain 18% moisture content, and the surface membrane is polished and cleaned before shipment. People call this special processing method the Indonesian semi-washed method. Large coffee processing facilities can precisely control every processing step, maintaining consistent flavor and quality. Small coffee farmers process raw beans in their own yards, developing varied flavors depending on each farmer's processing methods and skills.

Indonesian Harvest Season

The harvest season runs from May to September, with main harvesting occurring from June to August. After coffee is harvested, manual screening is used to remove unripe and pest-damaged coffee cherries.

After depulping, the berries undergo 15-18 hours of dry fermentation, then water is added for another 10-12 hours of continued fermentation. After complete fermentation, they are washed with clean water.

Currently, most coffee is first dried in greenhouses on racks for 1-2 days, then moved to patios for drying. The drying time takes about 14-20 days, depending on whether it rains during the drying period.

FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian Coffee Brewing Recommendations:

KONO/88°C/1:14/time: one minute fifty seconds

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