Geographical Features of Sumatra Coffee Region and Introduction to Sumatra Coffee Cultivation Altitude Environment

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sumatra Coffee Growing Regions

Sumatra Island is Indonesia's second-largest island, separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca to the north.

Extending from northwest to southeast, the equator passes through its central region. The terrain is higher in the northwest, with the Barisan Mountains running through it, primarily growing Arabica varieties - this is the main production area for Mandheling coffee. The southeast is lower, mostly flat or swampy land, primarily growing Robusta varieties. The entire island has over 90 volcanoes and numerous volcanic lakes, providing fertile soil for coffee cultivation.

Lake Toba, located in the central part of North Sumatra Province, where Dutch colonialists moved "Java Mandheling" north to the Lake Toba region in 1888, creating the modern Mandheling legend.

Lake Tawar, located in the central part of the Aceh Special Administrative Region. Situated at the northern tip of Sumatra Island, its area is less than one-tenth that of Lake Toba.

Aceh Province and northern Sumatra Province are home to many ethnic minorities. In Aceh, you can find the Gayo people, who mainly live in the Gayo Lues and central Aceh regions. In Dairi and Pakpak Barat, you can find the Pakpak people.

When searching for Sumatran coffee, you often find Gayo coffee or Mandheling coffee. Gayo and Mandheling (derived from the Mandailing people) are both used as commodity names. All coffee-growing ethnic groups desire to leave their mark, which is an act of pride.

Coffee from Sumatra Island is known for its smooth, sweet, full-bodied character and low acidity. Flavors of cocoa, earth, and cedar wood are well-expressed in the cup. Sometimes, Sumatran coffee shows higher acidity, which can balance its body. This acidity carries tropical fruit flavors, sometimes with grapefruit or lime notes.

Currently, the highest quality beans from the entire Sumatra region come from the GAYO mountainous area, mostly planted with old tree varieties. The Gayo Mountains are located in the Aceh production area of northern Sumatra Province, at elevations between 1500-2500 meters. Most coffee farmers are local GAYO people. This region has ideal growing conditions for coffee - high altitude, fertile soil, abundant rainfall, and Lake Tawar provides rich water resources. Additionally, this area widely adopts organic methods for coffee cultivation without using chemical fertilizers, making it considered a world green coffee production region. Therefore, Gayo coffee is also often called green coffee or Gayo organic coffee.

Knowledge Point

Mandheling coffee beans are relatively large and hard in texture, and defects can easily occur during the growing process. Therefore, after harvesting, they typically undergo strict manual selection.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a specialty coffee research center, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation, hoping to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three coffee discount events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to provide the best coffee at the lowest prices to more friends. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for six years!

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