Indonesia | Introduction to Lintong Mandheling Coffee Beans - An Entry Selection from the Sumatra Region

Indonesia

In Southeast Asia, there is a country known as the "Land of Thousand Islands" - the Republic of Indonesia, commonly referred to as Indonesia. This country is the world's largest archipelagic nation, composed of 17,508 islands, with the largest islands including Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java. Indonesia shares borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia, with its territory spanning across Asia and Oceania. Covering an area of 1,913,578.68 square kilometers, it has a large territory and population, making it the fourth most populous country in the world with hundreds of ethnic groups.

The country's name "Indonesia" comes from the Greek words "Indus" (India) and "nèsos" (islands). The Indonesian flag consists of two horizontal bands of red and white, nicknamed "Glory Red and White," with red on top and white below. The red symbolizes courage, justice, and the prosperity after the country's independence, while white represents freedom, justice, and purity, also expressing the Indonesian people's desire to oppose aggression and love peace.

Indonesia is the largest economy in ASEAN, with agriculture, industry, and services as the main economic sources. As a major agricultural country and the fourth largest coffee-producing country, its main cash crops include palm oil, rubber, cocoa, and coffee. The success of agriculture is due to Indonesia's location spanning the equator, which gives it a tropical rainforest climate with mild and humid weather throughout the year, with average temperatures between 25°C-27°C. The year is divided into dry and wet seasons due to monsoons. Rich in natural resources, with numerous rivers and forest coverage reaching 67.8%, it is also a country with many volcanoes and earthquakes. However, volcanic ash enriches the soil with minerals, which benefits agricultural cultivation such as coffee.

Coffee Growing Regions

Currently, several islands in Indonesia grow coffee trees, with coffee growing regions distinguished by islands such as Sulawesi, Bali, Java, and Sumatra.

Sulawesi: Coffee was introduced to Sulawesi in 1750. Currently, there are seven large estates on Sulawesi Island, producing 5% of the island's coffee output, while the majority is still produced by small farmers. Most Arabica on the island is grown in the higher altitude Tana Toraja and the southern city of Kalosi. With elevations between 1100-1800 meters, the main varieties cultivated are S795, Typica, Ateng, and Robusta, with harvesting from May to November.

Bali: Bali's coffee industry was severely setback when Mount Agung erupted in 1963. In the 1970s and 1980s, the government began to encourage coffee cultivation. The Arabica seedlings provided at that time were not successful, and later 80% of the island planted Robusta. Eventually, tourism became the island's most important source of income. The island's coffee is grown at elevations between 1250-1700 meters, primarily cultivating Robusta and Typica, with harvesting from May to October.

Java: Coffee was originally cultivated on Java Island. Currently, there are four largest estates on Java Island, with a total area of 4,000 hectares. Most coffee is grown in the eastern part of Java near the Ijen volcano area. With elevations between 900-1800 meters, the main varieties cultivated are Typica, Ateng, and USDA, with harvesting from July to September.

Sumatra: Coffee cultivation began in Sumatra in 1888. Currently, there are three main producing regions on Sumatra Island: Aceh Province, Lin Dong near Lake Toba, and Mangkuraja in the south. Among them, Aceh Province and Mangkuraja have elevations between 1100-1300 meters, while the area near Lake Toba has elevations of 1100-1600 meters. The Lin Dong region is located in the Lin Dong Hutta area southwest of Lake Toba. In the past, coffee was commonly sold under the name "Sumatra Mandheling." Mandheling is not a place name but an ethnic group on the island. Sumatra mainly cultivates Typica, Tim Tim, and Ateng, with harvesting from September to December.

The Ateng Coffee Variety

The Ateng coffee variety is often thought to be a new variety, but it is actually the Catimor variety. "Ateng" is just the local Indonesian name for it. Similarly, Indonesia's TimTim is also the local name for Timor Hybrid. Catimor is a hybrid between Timor Hybrid and Caturra, resulting in the first-generation F1 hybrid group known as Catimor.

On coffee plants, the Catimor variety has green or bronze-colored tips on young terminal leaves, with many branches and short spacing between them. The coffee cherries are mainly red, and the raw beans are long, thick, and large. The overall plant is relatively small and can be densely planted. It possesses resistance to coffee leaf rust disease but is susceptible to nematodes and coffee berry disease. It is suitable for cultivation in mid to low altitude areas and has high yields.

FrontStreet Coffee Indonesia Selected Lin Dong Mandheling Coffee Beans
Region: Sumatra
Altitude: 1100-1600 meters
Variety: Ateng
Processing Method: Wet-Hulled
Flavor: Dark chocolate, herbal, caramel, sweet aftertaste

This entry-level selected Lin Dong Mandheling from FrontStreet Coffee uses the wet-hulled processing method and is dark roasted. FrontStreet Coffee uses a KONO dripper with a 1:15 ratio for brewing, using water at 92°C. It presents herbal and dark chocolate flavors upon entry, with a caramel-like rich taste and a high sweetness in the aftertaste.

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