The history of coffee in Indonesia
Indonesian Coffee
There is no doubt that Indonesia is famous for its variety of coffees with very tasty and unique tastes.
Indonesia is one of the four largest coffee exporting countries in the world, along with Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia.
To learn more about the history of coffee in the archipelago, we have to look far back into the time of Dutch colonialism.
Our journey begins in 1696. At that time, Arabica coffee beans were brought to Indonesia from Malabar, India, by Dutch merchant skipper Adrian Van Ommen and planted in the area around Kedawung near Batavia (then called Jakartas).
Unfortunately, this attempt failed due to floods and earthquakes. However, the Dutch did not give up; they brought coffee tree seedlings with them, and this attempt was successful.
From then on, the Dutch expanded coffee cultivation to Sumatra, Timor, Bali and other islands.
In 1714, King Louis XIV asked the mayor of Amsterdam to send seeds of the Arabica coffee plant of the Typika variety to be planted in the botanical garden of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France.
King Louis XIV did this because he heard that Javanese coffee fetched the highest auction price in Amsterdam.
In 1726, no less than 2,145 tons of coffee were exported from Java to continental Europe, displacing Yemeni mocha. This is where the term “Java coffee”, which is still legendary today, comes from.
In addition, in the early 1720s, the Dutch sent Java coffee seeds to Suriname to open plantations there due to the high price.
From these two places, Java coffee seeds spread to Central and South America and East Africa.
Its distribution can be seen in Latin America, for example in Panama and Jamaica, Colombia and in East Africa, Ethiopia.
For example, there are descendants of the variety from which today’s Blue Mountain brand in Jamaica originates. The name refers to the Jamaican Blue Mountain Mountains, where the coffee is grown. The Geisha or Gesha variety, whose name refers to the Ethiopian coffee production village in Gesha, is also grown in Panama (Panama Geisha).
In the 18th century, between about 1830 and 1870, the Dutch colonial government introduced a forced plant system, called Cultuurstelsel in Dutch.
It forced Indonesians to grow coffee, especially in Java, Sumatra and parts of eastern Indonesia.
Arabica coffee was imported from Yemen.
In 1878, however, almost all coffee on Indonesian plantations, especially in the lowland plantations, was affected by leaf rust disease or Hemileia vastatrix (HV).
This pest control meant that Java could not export up to 120,000 tons of coffee, causing panic in the world coffee market.
At that time, the Dutch government tried to solve the problem by using Liberica coffees. But even these efforts failed, as these varieties were exposed to the same pests.
Finally, in 1907, the Dutch government tried to grow the Robusta coffee variety in Indonesia. This effort proved successful, as almost all plantations in the lowlands were no longer infested by pests.
Currently, coffee varieties are grown in Indonesia, some examples are:
1. Javanese coffee
Indonesian Coffee
As mentioned above, Javanese coffee comes from the island of Java, which was very famous at the time and became known as Java coffee. The flavor of this coffee is not as strong as that of Sumatra or Sulawesi because it is processed wet (wet process). Nevertheless, Javanese coffee has a spicy aroma that makes it better than other types of coffee. Javanese coffee also has low acidity due to soil conditions, air temperature, weather, and humidity.
2. Sumatran coffee
Indonesian Coffee
It is one of the most delicate and complex types of coffee in the world. Usually, Sumatran coffee is processed dry.
3. Gayo coffee
Indonesian Coffee
Lately, Gayo coffee is very popular among coffee lovers worldwide. It is often found in various cafes in Indonesia. It is an Arabica coffee grown in the Gayo Highlands in Aceh.
4. Coffee Luwak
Indonesian Coffee
This coffee uses coffee beans from the excretions of the luwak, a type of creeping cat. These coffee beans are said to have a unique taste after the digestive process in the digestive tract of the luwak. This coffee has been known for a long time, but it was not until the 1980s that it became world-famous through media reports. Luwak coffee beans are among the most expensive in the world, costing up to 100 euros per 100 grams.
There are many more types of coffee in Indonesia; it would go beyond the scope of this article to list them all here. If you are interested, take time for a holiday in Indonesia and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee directly from the beautiful, cool plantation on the mountainside.
For more information, visit https://dewitours-tailormade-holidays.com/ or contact us via email or WhatsApp at +628112594076. The Dewi Tours team is at your disposal.
See you soon in Indonesia!
