What is the Most Famous Coffee in Indonesia? Golden Mandheling and Exotic Typica Varieties

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Golden Mandheling Coffee

We often mention a term called "Mandheling." It comes from a coffee variety in Indonesia's Sumatra. At that time in the market, basically all Mandheling was deep roasted. Because Japanese coffee professionals basically adopted deep roasting methods to interpret Mandheling, we Chinese coffee professionals learned this roasting method. However, Japanese taste preferences are not the same as Chinese taste preferences, and American tastes are even less aligned with Chinese dietary habits. So as a Chinese person, to find coffee that suits my own taste preferences, I went to Sumatra Island in Indonesia to search for Mandheling.

However, I discovered that locals only knew that coffee tree species were divided into two categories: Arabica and Sumatra varieties. In the 17th century, during the Dutch Golden Age of navigation, the Dutch brought seeds to Sumatra Island, where coffee was successfully cultivated. Due to the different local terroir conditions, Typica gradually evolved into Mandheling through genetic mutation.

Local coffee farmers said: "Around the 1970s, Japanese people imported large quantities of rubber from Sumatra Island in Indonesia, often visiting a tribe called 'Mandhailling,' which did not produce coffee, only rubber. There, the Japanese tasted a coffee that was very fragrant, delicious, with extremely rich body, rich in coconut flavors, spices, and herbal notes, which suited Japanese dietary preferences very well. So they asked a famous local Chinese rubber merchant where they could find these beans (coffee). This Chinese person had the surname Du, and his company was called PWN, with the full name 'Pawani,' meaning 'eternal preservation' in Minnan (Hakka) dialect.

Finally, in the Gayo mountainous area near Takangon city in Aceh province, at an altitude of 1900 meters, they found these beans (coffee), Mandheling processed to screen size 18." At that time, the Japanese didn't know what this coffee was called, so they asked Mr. Du what these beans were called and what tree species they belonged to. Mr. Du didn't know either, because local coffee farmers only knew it was an Arabica variety. So, Mr. Du fabricated a name and called it "Mandheling." This is the true origin of Mandheling.

To ensure the quality of their Mandheling, they registered a trademark called "Golden Mandheling." This was because when the parchment beans were processed with sun drying, the outer parchment layer was not removed, and under the sun, it sparkled like gold, hence the name Golden Mandheling."

Knowledge Point:

There are numerous Mandheling products on the market: Lintong Mandheling, Golden Mandheling, Ding Shang Golden Mandheling, Aceh Mandheling, Diamond Mandheling, Gayo Mandheling, Takengon Mandheling... the variety is dazzling.

In Brief:

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research center that enjoys sharing coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

Important Notice :

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