The Differences Between Indonesia's Three Major Coffee Brands _ Which Indonesian Coffee Brand is Best _ Indonesian Coffee ≠ Mandheling!

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Introduction to Indonesian Coffee

Coffee lovers have surely tried Indonesian coffee. The best growing areas across the Indonesian archipelago are Java, Sumatra, and Sulawesi. These three islands have established three major coffee brands: Mandheling coffee, produced in Sumatra, with moderate acidity and an extremely rich, strong aroma; Java coffee, produced in Java Island, belonging to the Arabica coffee species; and Sulawesi coffee, with full-bodied beans and rich aroma. Robusta coffee accounts for 90% of the total production, reputed to be of world-class quality.

In the mid-17th century, coffee trees were introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch (some official sources suggest it was even earlier). In 1712, the first batch of coffee from Java was sold to Amsterdam. However, in 1877, all coffee trees in the plantations were destroyed by coffee rust disease, forcing the introduction of Robusta coffee trees from Africa to replace the original varieties. Today, only 6%-10% of coffee beans are Arabica. Indonesia is the world's main producer of Robusta coffee, producing 6.8 million bags annually, with most coffee coming from small plantations, accounting for about 90% of total production.

Indonesian Coffee Varieties

Java Coffee: Java produces exquisite aromatic coffee with relatively low acidity, delicate mouthfeel, and excellent balance. The aroma and acidity of Java coffee surpass those from Sumatra and Sulawesi. The best plantations in Java include Blawan, Jambit, Kayumas, and Pankur. Java Mocha coffee is a blend of Java coffee and Yemen Mocha coffee.

Sumatra Coffee: Sumatra, the second-largest island in the Indonesian archipelago, is Indonesia's petroleum industry center. The island's rubber and timber are also famous export commodities. However, Sumatra's coffee is even more noteworthy. This coffee is similar to Java coffee but with slightly heavier beans. The coffee beans from Mandheling and Ankola are also highly valued, with the former even being hailed as the world's fullest-bodied coffee beans.

Sulawesi Coffee: Sulawesi, located between Borneo and New Guinea, is sometimes also known as Celebes. The coffee produced on this island has full-bodied beans and rich aroma. The best coffee beans come from Kalossi and Rantepao in the southern part of the island. Among the many brands, you might want to try Celebes Kalossi coffee.

Characteristics and History of Indonesian Coffee

Overall, Indonesian coffee has a very strong taste, mellow flavor with a slightly syrupy quality, and excellent acidity. Its two main export markets are Germany and Japan, which indirectly reflects the excellent quality of this coffee. What attracts consumers is its superior quality unique to Arabica coffee beans. You can add milk or cream to high-quality Indonesian coffee without worrying about affecting its flavor. Indonesian coffee is classified into six grades, with AP being the best. However, no one is certain what these two capital letters actually represent.

After steamships replaced sailing ships, coffee from these islands faced the same problem as coffee from Mysore, India—consumers had grown accustomed to coffee affected by long journeys and were unwilling to accept the taste of this "fresh" coffee. To solve this problem, the Indonesian government tried to imitate coffee affected by long journeys by "storing" coffee beans for up to a year. However, disappointingly, the flavor of this wet-processed coffee was not widely accepted, affecting its good reputation.

However, Indonesia's "stored" or "journey" coffee is still produced today. It is generally sold under brands such as "Old Government," "Old Brown," and "Old Java."

Despite producing so many acclaimed coffees, it is puzzling that local residents prefer drinking Turkish-style coffee rather than its renowned European-style coffee.

About Mandheling Coffee

Do not call Indonesian coffee Mandheling. Also, do not call Sumatra coffee Mandheling. Almost all Indonesian Arabica is produced in Sumatra. Most of northern Sumatra produces Gayo, primarily the Ateng variety. We are accustomed to calling this area the Tawar Lake region. South Sumatra's Lake Toba region. The Lin Dong area is actually the Mandheling producing region.

The best Mandheling varieties include four types: Sidikalang, Bergendar, Siborong borong, and Telok Sanggul.

Mandheling is exaggeratedly called the Caesar of coffees, mainly due to its distinctive rich aroma and mellow thickness. Sweetness in bitterness with immediate aftertaste. Slight acidity brings Mandheling a long-lasting sweet charm. Strong yet full of tenderness.

First taste of Mandheling: The mouthfeel is rich and mellow, with a slight sweetness. After entry, the dark chocolate sensation at the root of the tongue is quite obvious, with distinct bitterness. Under medium-dark roasting, the fruit acidity points are lower. But it is not completely acidity-free coffee. After drinking, there is a long-lasting aftertaste and lingering charm. When consumed with milk, the flavor characteristics become even more pronounced.

Indonesian Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Indonesian coffee beans - [West Java Honey Processed Coffee] - offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they are extremely cost-effective. A half-pound (227g) package costs only about 118 yuan. Calculated at 15g per cup of coffee, one package can make 15 cups, with each cup costing only about 7 yuan. Compared to the price of tens of yuan per cup sold in coffee shops, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find various famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473