Why is Papua New Guinea Sigri Estate Bird of Paradise Coffee Known as the "Little Blue Mountain of Asia"??

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In many languages, place names ending with "a" typically indicate they are countries. Historically, Papua was under British governance, while New Guinea was under German administration. Later, when Australia took over both regions, they merged them into Papua New Guinea - essentially a combination of two countries. When these rulers arrived at this place, the local society was still in a rather primitive state. FrontStreet Coffee previously mentioned in Blue Mountain materials that Blue Mountain was brought to Jamaica by the British from Brazil. Similarly, the British also brought Jamaican Blue Mountain to Papua New Guinea, which is why people refer to Papua New Guinea as "Little Blue Mountain."

Papua New Guinea Coffee History

The history of coffee production in Papua New Guinea is not particularly long. Although coffee cultivation began as early as the 1890s, it was not initially considered a commercial product. By 1926, 18 estates were established, using seeds from Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. It wasn't until 1928 that the coffee industry began to flourish.

In the 1950s, the industry began structural development. With the construction of infrastructure, coffee-related activities on the island thrived. Another significant wave of development occurred in the 1970s, possibly due to declining coffee production in Brazil. At that time, the government introduced a series of subsidy programs encouraging small farms to transition to cooperative operations.

The industry then mostly focused on estate management. However, since the 1980s, the local industrial structure began to change, with diversification in focus. Perhaps due to falling coffee prices, many estates fell into financial crisis. In contrast, small farmers were less affected by market fluctuations and were able to continue coffee production.

Papua New Guinea Coffee Production

Today, 95% of producers on the island are self-sufficient small farmers who produce 90% of the nation's coffee, with varieties being almost entirely Arabica. This also means that a significant proportion of the population is involved in coffee production, especially those living in highland areas. This poses a significant challenge to producing large quantities of high-quality coffee, as many producers lack access to proper post-harvest processing methods. The lack of traceability also prevents high-quality coffee from receiving the recognition it deserves.

Traceability

Many large estates still operate successfully, making it possible to find coffee from specific estates. The concept of traceability is relatively new on the island. In the past, some coffee farmers would purchase coffee from other producers and sell it under their own brand. Selling coffee by regional classification is a fairly recent practice. However, the island's altitude and soil indeed give local coffee excellent potential, attracting the attention of specialty coffee industry players in recent years. When purchasing, focus on beans that can be traced to single estates or producer groups.

Coffee Flavor Profile

Papua New Guinea coffee typically features:

Creamy, rich body

Excellent sweetness

Unique complexity

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