If we talk about coffee, the distribution of coffee is expanding, not only in Java but all over the country. Currently, almost all islands in Indonesia have their type of coffee. Papua coffee beans are no exception. However, did you know that these three Papuan coffees have become world idols?
Most Sought-after Papua Coffee Beans Overseas
1. Amungme Papua Coffee Beans
Amungme coffee is produced in Timika Regency, Papua. As the name implies, this coffee is cultivated by the Amungme tribe near the Tembagapura mine. Initially, Arabica typical coffee seeds were brought from Dogiyai and cultivated by Amungme tribal farmers.
Amungme coffee is grown at an altitude of 2,500 meters above sea level in several villages, namely Oroanop, Tsinga, Hoya, and Banti villages. More than 19 thousand hectares of land near the Tembagapura mine have been planted with Amungme coffee using an intercropping system. There have been 13,603 coffee trees planted, producing an average of 606 kg (0.6 tons) of coffee beans (parchment).
Amungme coffee trees are naturally fertilized with nitrogenous plants, compost, and forest mulch materials. Amungme farmers manually process all the Papua coffee beans, from harvesting to drying. After that, the frying and grinding process will be carried out in a modern way in Timika.
The type of soil with gold and precious metals, the climate, and the altitude of the Tembagapura region give Amungme coffee a distinctive aroma. Amungme coffee has a full body structure, a slightly sour taste, a distinctive and strong sweet aroma, and an aftertaste in the form of a mocha taste.
To buy Amungme coffee ready for consumption, consumers can directly come to the Amungme coffee processing unit in Timika. In addition, this coffee is also available at the Kuala Kencana or Tembagapura supermarkets not far from the Freeport complex. Amungme coffee is exported to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
2. Pegunungan Bintang Coffee
Pegunungan Bintang Arabica coffee is grown in Bintang Mountains. Besides being grown organically, coffee beans are harvested manually, and the harvest is also processed manually by human hands, not machines. Gunung Bintang coffee has a distinctive taste: citrus, berry, orange, fruity, sweet chocolate, sugar cane, and peach.
The air is very cold at this altitude, with a temperature of 18 – 23 Celsius. Cold air temperatures, fog, and less intensity of sunlight make the coffee cherries ripen longer on the tree. It makes the Bintang Mountains Papua coffee beans different and of perfect quality. The long ripening process of the fruit causes the nutrients to accumulate, and the coffee taste tends to be more acidic.
Arabica coffee began to be planted in the 1970s, and typical Arabica coffee seeds were imported directly from Dogiyai by small plane by Dutch missionaries. Bintang Mountain Arabica coffee is grown in Lopkop, Sabin, Okbab District and Nangultil, Distrik Kiwirok.
Besides being grown organically, coffee beans are harvested manually. The harvest is also processed manually by human hands, not machines. Besides being marketed in Sentani and Jayapura City, Gunung Bintang coffee is also in demand by Australian, New Zealand, Dutch and American consumers.
3. Moanemani Coffee
Dogiyai Regency, Papua, is the best Arabica coffee producer in Indonesia. Coffee from Dogiyai is better known as Moanemani coffee.
Moanemani is a type of Arabica coffee grown organically by traditional farmers of the Mee tribe in Mapia District, Dogiyai Regency, Papua. This coffee is very famous for coffee connoisseurs in Europe and America. Moanemani coffee is grown by the Mee Tribe farmers in gardens near the forest, on hillsides, or in their yards.
Missionaries originally introduced these Papua coffee beans in the 1960s. At that time, after the small plane dropped logistics in the interior when it returned to Nabire City, the plane was empty.
The missionaries and pilots thought about what kind of high-value commodity could fill an empty plane, and this commodity could prosper the rural population. So, coffee has grown since then. They chose Arabica coffee since Dogiyai is between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea level.
Historically, in Arabica coffee grown in Dogiyai, the seeds were imported from Papua New Guinea. While Papua New Guinea coffee itself, the seeds are imported directly from Kingston, Jamaica. So the quality is not much different from Jamaica Blue Mountains coffee, the best premium Arabica coffee in the world.
Final Words
In Papua, Indonesia, there are three different kinds of Papua coffee beans grown. These coffees are manually prepared and cultivated organically. The top Arabica coffee grower in Indonesia is said to be Dogiyai Regency, Papua. They are also shipped to Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Farmers from the Mee Tribe cultivate Moanemani coffee in gardens close to forests. Customers in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States are also interested in Gunung Bintang coffee.
