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Papua New Guinea Coffee Beans Flavor Profile: An Introduction to Papua New Guinea Coffee Stories

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Cafe Style (WeChat public account cafe_style). FrontStreet Coffee - Papua New Guinea Coffee Introduction. The island of New Guinea was successively colonized by the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Japan, and Australia from the 18th to 19th centuries. In 1961, the western half of the island became Indonesian territory, while the eastern half gained independence from Australia in 1975.

FrontStreet Coffee - Papua New Guinea Coffee Introduction

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FrontStreet Coffee - Papua New Guinea Coffee Introduction

New Guinea Island was successively colonized by the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Japan, and Australia from the 18th to 19th centuries. In 1961, the western half of the island became Indonesian territory, while the eastern half gained independence from Australia in 1975, becoming the present-day 'Papua New Guinea (PAPUA NEW GUINEA)', abbreviated as PNG.

Papua New Guinea, a country whose name most people can't even pronounce smoothly, is an extremely diverse nation with over 800 different languages. It is also one of the least developed countries in the world. Most highland tribes had no contact with white people before the 1930s. Because few people explored PNG, it remains a region fraught with contradictions between Western influences and indigenous traditions.

Commercial coffee production in Papua New Guinea began in the 20th century. In 1931, the Jamaican Blue Mountain variety, belonging to the Typica lineage, was introduced from Jamaica. In 1950, Bourbon was introduced from Kenya, and in 1962, Mundo Novo and Caturra were brought in from Brazil. Since then, coffee bean quality has made great strides.

It wasn't until the 1950s, when the government encouraged and opened up cultivation, that the coffee industry experienced substantial growth in the 1970s-80s, becoming an important export commodity for PNG today. At that time, most coffee production came from 18 large plantations, which still exist in Papua New Guinea today but now account for only 15% of total production. Currently, most coffee bean production comes from small farmers who grow coffee in their own coffee gardens. These small farmers' coffee gardens may have anywhere from dozens to hundreds of coffee plants, with green coffee bean yields ranging from 25 to 65 kilograms.

Despite having favorable growing conditions, Papua New Guinea's coffee beans currently have a low global market share of only 0.7%. Coffee is extremely important to Papua New Guinea as it is the only cash crop in the highland regions. Nationwide, 40% of small farming households, totaling over 2 million people, rely on coffee beans as a vital source of livelihood.

Most coffee beans in Papua New Guinea are grown in the highlands, with Arabica varieties accounting for as much as 95%. Main varieties include Typica, Arusha, Bourbon, Caturra, and Mundo Novo.

Papua New Guinea coffee features full, well-formed beans, moderate acidity, mellow flavor, and complex characteristics, with pleasant acidity and fruit-like sweetness.

In Summary

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