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What are the Characteristics of Indonesian Coffee and How are Green Beans Classified?

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Asia is the largest continent in the world, with complex and diverse terrain primarily consisting of mountains, plateaus, and hills, featuring numerous volcanoes. With an average elevation of approximately 950 meters, Asia is the highest continent except for Antarctica. Additionally, due to its vast area, Asia spans across cold, temperate, and tropical zones, with complex climate types, where coffee is primarily cultivated

Asia is the largest continent in the world, with complex and diverse terrain, primarily consisting of mountains, plateaus, and hills, and is home to numerous volcanoes. With an average elevation of about 950 meters, Asia is the highest continent after Antarctica.

Additionally, due to its vast area, Asia spans across cold, temperate, and tropical zones, resulting in complex climate types. Coffee is primarily cultivated in Southeast Asia and South Asia, which are mainly humid tropical monsoon regions. The suitable climate, abundant water resources, and fertile volcanic soil make Asian agriculture well-developed, with many coffee-producing countries such as China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Indonesia: Asia's Coffee Giant

Indonesia has become the fourth largest coffee-producing country in the world, with its high production attributed to the country's unique terrain and climate. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic nation, consisting of 17,508 islands and earning the title of "Country of Ten Thousand Islands." This diverse terrain features rugged mountains and hills across many islands. Furthermore, Indonesia is a country with numerous volcanoes and rivers, with approximately 400 volcanoes nationwide.

In terms of climate, Indonesia is located in the tropics and straddles the equator, primarily featuring a tropical rainforest climate. The annual average temperature ranges between 25-27°C, with most regions experiencing warm and humid weather, while mountainous areas have cooler temperatures. The year is divided into dry and rainy seasons. With fertile volcanic soil, abundant water resources, and suitable climate, Indonesia provides ideal conditions for coffee cultivation.

Indonesia's Coffee Growing Regions

In Indonesia, coffee is grown on multiple islands, with coffee-producing regions primarily divided by island. Currently, coffee is mainly cultivated on Sulawesi, Bali, Java, and Sumatra islands.

The Famous Sumatra Mandheling

Among these, Sumatra is the most renowned island, with its coffee famous for the term "Mandheling." Mandheling is neither a coffee variety nor a geographical name, but rather the name of an ethnic group on the island. The origin story dates back to World War II when a Japanese officer tasted delicious coffee on the island and asked for its name. Due to the language barrier, the shopkeeper thought he was being asked about his ethnicity and replied "Mandheling." Later, due to pronunciation and translation changes, it eventually became "Mandheling" and has been used ever since.

Sumatra is the largest island in Indonesia, primarily composed of the Barisan Mountains in the west and lowland plains in the east. The Barisan Mountains run through the entire island, with about 90 volcanoes along the range. The fertile soil from these volcanoes, combined with numerous lakes, creates ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. Robusta varieties are mainly grown in the southern part of the island, while Arabica is cultivated in the north, concentrated in the Gayo production area of the Aceh Special Administrative Region and the Lintong production area of North Sumatra Province.

The Lintong production area is located south of the island's provincial capital, Medan, with coffee primarily grown in the volcanic areas around Lake Toba in the central part of this region. Lake Toba is a highland lake and the world's largest volcanic lake. At higher altitudes, coffee is cultivated on mountain slopes between 1,400-1,800 meters above sea level. With an annual average temperature of 22°C, the climate, soil, and altitude are all highly suitable for coffee cultivation.

Indonesian Coffee Grading Standards

According to Indonesian national standards, green coffee bean grading mainly relies on defect scores, with green bean defects based on a 300g sample. Additionally, TP (Triple Picked) and DP (Double Picked) are common in green bean rules, with TP defect occurrences not exceeding 5 and DP defect occurrences not exceeding 9.

FrontStreet Coffee's Indonesian Selection

FrontStreet Coffee's staple bean series also includes coffee from Indonesia's renowned Sumatra Lintong region. Selected from the Ateng variety (Catimor, with Ateng being the local name), these beans are processed using the wet-hulled method and dark roasted. After brewing, they exhibit herbal and dark chocolate flavors with a caramel-like rich body and high sweetness in the aftertaste. FrontStreet Coffee believes that Indonesia, as the fourth largest coffee exporter and the largest in Asia, differs from African coffee beans with their high acidity but instead offers a full body. Its most distinctive characteristics are spicy and herbal aromas, perfectly representing the regional flavors of Asia and Indonesia.