Coffee culture

Notable Coffee Bean Brands in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Legendary History of Indonesian Sumatra Mandheling Coffee

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more information about coffee beans, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style). Indonesia is a very important country in Asia, with a vast territory and a large population. There are ten countries in the world with populations exceeding one hundred million, and Indonesia is one of them, ranking fifth globally. Additionally, geographically, it has a very special feature, known as the "Thousand Islands Nation."

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Indonesia is a very important country in Asia, with a vast territory and a large population. There are ten countries in the world with a population exceeding 100 million, and Indonesia is one of them, ranking fifth in the world.

Additionally, geographically, it has a very special characteristic, known as the "country of a thousand islands." With so many islands, how do they govern them? I can't help but feel worried for their government.

The word "coffee" originally comes from the Greek word "Kawah," which surprisingly means "strength and passion"! (You're like that... a fire! — burning flames that consume me —) Ahem... Of course, the Chinese word "咖啡" (coffee) originates from the English word "Coffee."

So what kind of legendary history does Indonesian coffee have? Let me elaborate in detail!

Sumatra Coffee History in Indonesia

Before the 17th century, coffee cultivation and trade were firmly controlled by the Ottoman Empire, with main growing areas in Arabia and East Africa. After the 17th century, specifically in 1683, the Ottoman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire fought a major battle in Vienna.

This battle ended in the defeat of the Ottoman Empire. From then on, the Ottoman Empire gradually declined, handing over regional control to the Europeans.

Under these circumstances, the Dutch were able to introduce coffee cultivation to Indonesia, making Indonesia one of the first growing areas to break free from Ottoman control.

There are two interesting Chinese expressions: one is "monkey year, horse month" (猴年马月), and the other is "Java country" (爪哇国). "Monkey year, horse month" describes something that is indefinitely far off in time, while "Java country" describes something that is unreachable in space. These first coffee beans were planted in Java. Java remains a very important producing region in Indonesia today.

By the 1780s, Indonesia had become the world's largest coffee exporter. However, this good fortune didn't last long. At the end of the 18th century, a leaf rust disease dealt a fatal blow to Indonesia's coffee industry. Many coffee trees died in this leaf rust epidemic, but later the Indonesian people tenaciously revived their coffee industry.

The word "coffee" originally comes from the Greek word "Kawah," which surprisingly means "strength and passion"! (You're like that... a fire! — burning flames that consume me —) Ahem... Of course, the Chinese word "咖啡" (coffee) originates from the English word "Coffee."

So what kind of legendary history does Indonesian coffee have? Let me elaborate in detail!

Mandheling Coffee

Mandheling coffee is one of Indonesia's most famous coffees. Its special characteristic lies in its unique flavor profile. Some say it tastes like cigars, some say it's like spices, and some say it resembles straw mats. In summary, it has a particularly distinctive taste that many people fall in love with at first sip.

Most of these flavors come from its traditional processing method. Indonesia has a processing method called wet-hulling, where coffee beans are removed while the coffee fruit with its mucilage is still not dry. At this time, the moisture content of the coffee beans is about 30%-40%, making them particularly soft, so there are some scratches on the surface. These scratches produce slight fermentation during subsequent drying, which intensifies these flavors.

Overall, the characteristics of Mandheling coffee are rich and fragrant, full of a sense of vicissitudes. Neither the great flood nor leaf rust disease could defeat it; it has surprisingly persisted until today. It can still showcase its extraordinary flavor to the world, almost making people think of the distant aroma of soil from the 19th-century Sumatra island.

Recommended Sumatra Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Sumatra coffee - 【Golden Mandheling Coffee】offers full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, it offers extremely high value for money. A 227-gram bag costs only 89 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams of coffee powder per cup, one bag can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to cafés selling coffee for dozens of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse varieties of coffee beans, 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

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