The island of Papua is huge and has various kinds of flora and fauna. The climate in the area is perfect for cultivation, especially in the highlands in the center of Papua. One of the most common plantations in Papua is Papuan coffee. The large area with various characteristics in each district creates many unique kinds of coffee.
With tourism development in West Papua, Papuan Coffee can become more well-known among common people.
Papuan Coffee
Papuan Coffee is probably not as popular as other Coffee from Indonesia like Gayo coffee or Toraja coffee. However, the unique taste and flavor of Papuan Coffee can not be underestimated. It has started to be enjoyed gradually by many coffee aficionados all over the nation.
There are not many coffee plantations in Papua. Coffee was brought by Dutch missionaries and has been cultivated since the 1950s. The plants grow in highlands in the center of Papua, and all of them are Typica Arabica coffee varieties, even though they have different flavors.
Five well-known Papuan Coffee planted on Papua’s soil, namely Wamena Coffee, Amugme Coffee, Moanemani Coffee, Tiom Coffee, and Oksibil Coffee. There is also produced in West Papua, but it is not planted on Papua’s soil. That Coffee is called ‘Kopi Senang.’
Wamena Coffee
The most well-known Papuan coffee, called BBCoffee or Baliem Blue Coffee, is organically cultivated in Jaya Wijaya Mountains about 2,000 meters above sea level with natural fertilizer made out of compost and forest mulch. The city of Wamena, where the name is used, is where Wamena Coffee is stored and packed.
Wamena Coffee’s sourness and bitterness are balanced with a sweet aftertaste and floral scent. This coffee has a unique flavor that can be set side by side with the Jamaica Blue Coffee.
Amugme Coffee
This Papuan original premium coffee is cultivated in the Mimika area, the land of the Amugme tribe, with a similar way and altitude to Wamena Coffee. In 1998, Freeport Indonesia Ltd. Started the plantation of Amugme Coffee, so it is also named ‘Amugme Gold Arabica Coffee.’
Amugme Coffee has a strong and balanced flavor with a unique aroma. Still, this coffee’s production is limited because of the high cost. They need a helicopter to transport coffee from the plantation in the mountains to the processing place in the city of Timika.
Moanemani Coffee
One of the earliest Coffee plants on Papua’s soil, Moanemani Coffee, is the coffee brought by Dutch missionaries. It grows in Mapia Mountains, Dogiyai Regency, so it can also be called ‘Dogiyai Coffee.’ Dogiyai was the main Papuan coffee producer in the 1970s.
Moanemani Coffee has a unique combination of baked beans, chocolate, caramel, and spices flavors. The unique flavor has been known in the continents of America and Europe.
Tiom Coffee
Tiom Coffee grows at more than 2,000 meters above sea level in Tiom, Lanny Jaya Regency. Like other kinds of coffee, it is also cultivated organically without chemicals.
Tiom Coffee’s taste is one of a kind. It has a specific fragrant flavor with a sharp texture, which is created to support Tiom’s high-altitude climate. It was also sold for more than five million rupiahs per kilogram in 2018, making Tiom Coffee the most valuable coffee.
Oksibil Coffee
Oksibil Coffee is a hidden treasure of the Oksibil district in the Bintang Mountains. This coffee is cultivated naturally at a high altitude. Its unique flavor is created from the slow ripe of the coffee supported by the low temperature.
Oksibil Coffee’s originality is strong as it is processed manually without any machines. It has a citrus-like aftertaste with a firm bitterness, perfect for coffee enthusiasts.
Kopi Senang
Senang is Indonesian for ‘happy’, which could be intended that this coffee brings happiness to those drinking it. It is produced in Sorong, West Papua, but the raw coffee seeds are not from Papua. Instead, the seeds are brought from various places in Indonesia. This mixture of different kinds of coffee is perfect for those who have just started to enjoy coffee.
Favorite Coffee Places In West Papua
West Papua has become one of the best destinations to visit in Indonesia. A place like Raja Ampat is well-known by people all over the world. Its capital city, Manokwari, is also among those interesting places.
Other than seeing beautiful sceneries at certain places in West Papua, people can also enjoy the unique flavor of many kinds of Papuan Coffee. There are several places categorized as the best places to enjoy Papuan Coffee in the region.
Those places are Misool Filling Station, De KOffie Eatery, Engineering Coffee, Waisai Coffee, and Kopi Senang. All of them are located in the Raja Ampat area, which is considered the favorite place to visit.Papuan Coffee can be a reason people want to visit West Papua. Although Papuan Coffee has been distributed to many places, nothing can compare to the feeling of enjoying it in its native land, complete with many interesting places to visit.
