Archive for November, 2009

The island of Sulawesi in the Indonesian archipelago produces some of the world’s finest coffee. The primary region for high altitude coffee production is a mountainous area called Tana Toraja, in the central highlands of South Sulawesi. This coffee is grown on very old Toraja region coffee trees, many of which are more than 250 years old and originate before the Dutch first arrived to this island.

Sulawesi coffees are clean and creamy, generally displaying a nutty or warm spice, like cinnamon or cardamom. Hints of black pepper are sometimes found. Their sweetness, as with most Indonesian coffees, is closely related to the body of the coffee. The aftertaste is smooth and soft.

Most of Sulawesi’s coffee is grown by small-holders, with about 5% coming from seven larger estates. All Arabica coffee in Indonesia is picked by hand, whether it is grown by small-holders or on medium-sized estates. After harvest, the coffee is processed in a variety of ways, each giving its own individual flavour and aroma to the final product.

A small number of farmers in Sulawesi use the most traditional method, dry processing. The coffee cherries are patio dried in the sun, and then de-hulled in a dry state. Their combination is sweet and earthy, low in acid, and has a deep body similar to maple syrup. These coffees are more expensive due to small yields and an overwhelming demand by the Japanese.

Most farmers on Sulawesi use a process called “Giling Basah” or wet hulling. In this process, farmers remove the outer skin from the cherries using rustic pulping machines, called “luwak”. The coffee beans, still coated with a gummy substance, are then stored for up to a day. Following this waiting period, this substance is washed off and the coffee is partially dried.

Collectors and processors then hull the coffee in a semi-wet state, which gives the beans a distinctive bluish-green appearance. This process also reduces acidity and increases body resulting in a distinctive Indonesian taste.

Indonesia’s coffee industry is represented by two associations. The Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters (AICE), also known by its Indonesian acronym “AEKI”, is composed of Arabica and Robusta coffee exporters. AICE was founded in 1979 and it issues compulsory export licenses for coffee. The Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI) was formed in 2008. SCAI members focus exclusively on the production, export and marketing of Indoensia’s Arabica coffees. This includes farmers’ cooperatives with 8,050 members, exporters, roasters, importers and coffee retailers in the Arabica coffee industry.

A hot steamy cup is the longed-for interruption or the pick- me-up that gets us through the day. Coffee has grown from a simple creation into a single-origin, gourmet beverage; organic or traditional?

One alleged disadvantage of organic coffee and tea is that there is less production compared to non-organic types. This is because artificial fertilizers and pesticides are not used, causing organic crops to be more susceptible to deadly pests which cannot be controlled. Further, these crops grow more slowly, and the total area used for cultivation of organic coffee and tea is minimal compared non-organic crops. It also makes them costlier than their counterparts. The second drawback is their uncertain and uneven availability. Organic coffee and tea are not as readily or abundantly accessible. This is due to factors such as awareness, lesser production, higher price and a stronger control by large corporations and companies (who manufacture traditional coffee and tea).

On the positive side, you do know what isn’t in your morning cup of Joe. The rewards outweigh the negative factors. Like wine grapes, coffee beans express the local region-specific characteristics of their origin – climate, soil, altitude, training systems, and the cultural and social community where the whole production takes place. – all these things affect the coffee’s ultimate flavour.

Coffee, organic or otherwise, is one of the few commodities where the consumer can make the ultimate choice for the good of themselves, the farmers and the environment.

It is common knowledge by now that organic coffee is grown without using any artificial fertilizers or pesticides, including its processing and packaging. To be labelled as organic, these products must follow guidelines as laid out by controlling authorities such as the USDA, Transfair, FLO, and other Fair Trade Organizations.

Those guidelines include:

1. It must be natural, that is, it must be a plant product or animal product.

2. It must be grown without using any synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

3. The land on which it is grown must be left fallow for at least three years, or in some cases, five to ten years, so that it detoxifies itself from the remains of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides etc. used earlier on it. Within this period, no synthetic substances or chemicals should be applied on the land.

4. There should be a sufficient buffer between organic coffee and the nearest non-Organic) crop

5. It must not be obtained fully or partly from or must not contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

6. It must not be genetically manipulated or tailored.

7. It must not be injected or administered with drugs to induce more and faster growth or to enhance quality of product.

8. No chemicals or synthetic flavours, preservatives, colours must be used on the products during its processing.

9. It must be packed in such a way that no chemical or metal salts disintegrate into the food packed in it.

However, what you see is not always what you get: Just the word “Organic” written on a package of coffee does not guarantee that the product is really organic. To make certain of authenticity, certificates also certify to what extent the contents are organic and also their quality. Three standards for organic labelling are:

• One Hundred Percent Organic: the certified products are absolutely organic.
• Organic: at least ninety five percent of the certified products are organic.
• Made from Organic: at least seventy five percent of the certified products are organic.

This can only be discovered by reading the certificates attached to these packs or displayed on them. There are many bodies functioning in various regions that certify these products as organic and keep a strict vigil on whether they are really following the prescribed guidelines and standards or not. However, caveat emptor: buyer beware.