How Many Varieties of Indonesian Coffee Beans Are There? Introduction to Indonesian Coffee Types

Introduction to Indonesian Coffee

Coffee was first introduced from Ethiopia, Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula's Yemen, where it officially became an economic crop. Around 1600, it spread to India and was cultivated in Ceylon in 1658, though harvests were consistently poor. It wasn't until 1696 that the Dutch sent a batch of Yemeni Arabica coffee seedlings from Malabar, India, to Batavia in Java, Indonesia (now Jakarta). This initial batch of seedlings perished due to severe flooding. In 1699, a second batch of seedlings was sent, and these coffee trees took root, flourished, and were domesticated as the JAVA variety. Due to suitable climate and soil conditions, Arabica quickly spread to Sumatra in the northwest of Java and to another large island in the northeast, Sulawesi.

Elegant-flavored Arabica is mainly distributed in northern Sumatra, Sulawesi, and higher elevations of Java. Although it accounts for only about 10% of Indonesia's coffee production, the reputations of Mandheling, Golden Mandheling, Lake Tawar, Gayo Mountain, Aceh, Sulawesi, Aged Mandheling, and Old Brown Java have allowed Indonesian coffee to be renowned in the specialty coffee industry for decades, unburdened by other inferior Robusta varieties. Currently, Java coffee is predominantly Robusta.

Coffee Varieties

TYPICA

TYPICA is the original variety introduced by the Dutch. Most TYPICA plants were destroyed in the late 1880s when coffee leaf rust swept through Indonesia. However, TYPICA mutant varieties from Bergandal and Sidikalang can still be found in the high-altitude regions of Sumatra.

Hibrido de Timor (HDT)

Also known as "Tim Tim," this is a natural hybrid of Arabica and Robusta. It appears to be a single-origin coffee variety from around 1917-1918 and was cultivated in Aceh in 1979.

Linie S

This lineage initially evolved from Bourbon in India. The most common varieties are S-288 and S-795. They are typically grown extensively in Aceh Province, Flores, and the Lindong region.

Ethiopian lines

Including Rambung and Abyssinia—these are varieties brought to Java in 1928. They have been continuously cultivated in Aceh. Another group of Ethiopian varieties was discovered in Sumatra, known as "USDA," which was introduced to Indonesia in the 1950s.

Caturra

Caturra is a natural mutation of Bourbon coffee, originating from Brazil.

Catimor

Catimor is a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta developed to enhance flavor and disease resistance. Catimor includes many sub-varieties, and most current research focuses on determining which Catimor varieties are suitable for cultivation in Aceh while maintaining good cupping results.

Quality Characteristics

Indonesian coffee quality is highly diverse. Its advantages include that most coffee characteristics feature rich, reserved flavors and lively acidity. The disadvantages may include uncomfortable astringency or slight musty flavors.

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