The History of Sumatra Coffee Beans - Smooth, Sweet, and Full-Bodied Indonesian Coffee Flavor

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sumatran Coffee

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Generally speaking, Arabica coffee grown on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia is called Mandheling coffee. Today, rather than introducing the past and present of Sumatran coffee, it's more about introducing the past and present of Mandheling coffee.

However, when it comes to the term "Mandheling," many friends in the specialty coffee industry immediately show a wary attitude, believing that "Mandheling" cannot be classified as specialty coffee at all, and they are unaware of how it became so popular in the past. Similarly, the author once held this view until encountering numerous impressive Sumatran coffees, which gradually changed this attitude.

Sumatra Island is the second largest island in Indonesia, separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca to the north. It extends from northwest to southeast, with the equator passing through its central part. The terrain is higher in the northwest, where the Barisan Mountains run through it, dominated by Arabica varieties, making it the main production area for Mandheling. The southeast is lower, mostly flat or swampy land, dominated by Robusta varieties. The entire island has over 90 volcanoes and numerous volcanic lakes, providing fertile soil for coffee growth.

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

Lake Tawar, located in the central part of the Aceh Special Administrative Region. It is situated at the northern tip of Sumatra Island, with an area less than one-tenth of Lake Toba.

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

Coffee from Sumatra Island is known for its smoothness, sweetness, full body, and low acidity. Flavors of cocoa, earth, and cedar 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.

FrontStreet Coffee's Mission

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. We share without reservation only to let more friends fall in love with coffee. Every month, we hold three low-discount coffee events because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends drink the best coffee at the lowest price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473