Explorer Series: Asia-Pacific
Importing Coffee from the Islands
Partnering with Sucafina
These four, dynamic coffees have been sourced through our importing partner Sucafina. On the whole, Sucafina’s approach and philosophy is parallel to Coava’s: they aim to participate in an equitable supply chain through long-term relationships, sustainability through shared profitability, and adaptation through innovation. They are a truly multinational company, with teams and employees throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, and they source from all major (and minor) coffee growing regions for clients throughout the global coffee industry.
Sucafina has established offices and coffee quality labs in Indonesia that allow them to take an upfront and hands-on approach with their partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes farmers, cooperatives, collectors, mills, and exporters throughout the islands. We are proud to partner with companies who put people, relationships, and positive impact above all else, and thankful to Sucafina for their role in bringing this selection of coffee to you.
Coffee Processing in the Region
Processing describes the manner by which the seed is removed from the coffee cherry and then dried to a specific moisture level.
After the coffee cherry’s skin and fruit layers are removed through a combination of de-pulping and fermentation, the seed is still contained within a papery layer called parchment. In most traditional processing styles, the seed remains within the parchment during the drying process, until it reaches around a 12% moisture level, whereafter the parchment is removed.
In Indonesia, and other countries in the region, the dominant processing style is called giling basah, or the “wet-hulled” method. In this style, the coffee parchment is hulled from the seeds early in the process, at a much higher moisture level of 30-40% (when they are still considered “wet”). The green seeds are then dried parchment-free to the standard moisture level of around 12%. This allows for a quicker turnaround for the producer and more prompt payments for farmers, and greater flexibility for those without access to proper infrastructure for drying. The resulting coffees are known for their rich, earthy flavors, mild acidity, and full body.
For this set, we have chosen four coffees eschewing the wet-hulled method for other styles that showcase the modern scope of Asia Pacific coffees. Each processing style differs in how the skin and fruit layers are removed from the parchment, revealing how these small differences can contribute a great deal to a coffee’s overall flavor profile.
The Java Papatong underwent honey processing with an anaerobic stage. Before de-pulping, this coffee’s cherries were sealed in an anaerobic (oxygen-less) environment for 120 hours. In the honey process, rather than being removed with fermentation, the inner mucilage fruit layer is left on the parchment during drying. This hybrid method leads to prominent sweet, fruity flavors and a round body.
The Flores Wolo Wio and Sulawesi Gowa Topidi underwent traditional washed processing, wherein all fruit was removed and fermented from the parchment before drying. This process leads to brighter acidity, balanced sweetness, and a crisp, lighter body.
The Timor-Leste Daurfusu underwent natural processing, wherein the full coffee cherry was allowed to dry with the skin and fruit fully intact prior to being removed and dried in parchment. This leads to intensely fruity flavors and a juicy body.
SULAWESI - GOWA TOPIDI
Sulawesi is Indonesia’s 3rd-largest island and the 11th-largest in the world, made up of 4 distinct peninsulas and a mountainous interior. The island’s size and geography have contributed to a highly diverse array of unique cultures, with 114 native languages being spoken across the island. The expansion of coffee cultivation by Dutch colonizers from Java to other Indonesian islands spread to South Sulawesi in the 19th century. Today, this area contains the majority of coffee production on the island. Farms on privately owned and government-protected land are both common on Sulawesi, and often result in hybrid situations wherein farmers can also plant and cultivate within forests that abut their land.
This selection, Sulawesi Gowa Topidi, comes from Daeng Balenkang, a pioneer of coffee on the island, who helped spread the Typica variety throughout surrounding villages and forests by introducing a handful of seedlings over 50 years ago. After decades of selling cheap, unsorted coffee to local collectors, Daeng and his family began to process their own specialty coffee for local roasters both domestically and internationally. We are fortunate enough to have been able to purchase coffees by Daeng and his peers processed in multiple ways, and this washed selection - with its bright, sweet, and complex profile - is an impeccable example of the elegant coffees coming out of Sulawesi.
Producer: Daeng Balenkang
Altitude: 1300-1600 masl
Varietal(s): Typica
Processing: Washed
We taste: Hibiscus, Grapefruit, Honey
FLORES - WOLO WIO
The name Flores, meaning “flowers” in Portuguese, speaks to both the abundant flowering trees and the significant influence of past Portuguese colonization on the island. In contrast to the Muslim majority in the rest of the country, Flores is predominantly Catholic, though many still subscribe to diverse native beliefs and religious rites, and languages can differ from village to village.
The island is regarded for its natural beauty, rugged terrain, and ecotourism opportunities - including the famous Komodo Island, home to the Komodo dragon - and contains numerous active and inactive volcanoes whose ash has contributed to the especially fertile soil. Flores is one of the newer origins for Indonesian specialty coffee, and while dwarfed by its more storied neighbors, it offers exciting possibilities for the future of the industry in the region.
This selection comes from the Primavera Cooperative, which is made up of 78 farmers in the villages of Wolo Wio, Watu Ata, and Tubu Tana. The coop’s leader, Om Leo Suri, works with the group on developing high-quality cultivation and harvest techniques that result in excellent cherry selection and meticulous processing. After pulping, this fully washed coffee was fermented for 36 hours and then washed in several changes of water before drying in parchment for 7 days. This fastidious approach produces a coffee with a distinct and expressive flavors that put the potential of Flores specialty coffee on full display.
Producer: Primavera Cooperative
Altitude: 1300-1550 masl
Varietal(s): S795
Processing: Fully washed
We taste: Guava, Cola, Vanilla
WEST JAVA - PAPATONG
To qualify Java as vibrant and bustling would be an understatement - it is the world’s most populous island and home to over half of Indonesia’s overall population. This island bears great historic and social significance, both in its legacy as a regional hub of colonialism and its place as Indonesia’s current cultural and government center.
Java is also where coffee production in Indonesia began, when in the late-17th century it was introduced by Dutch colonizers, leading to the spread of plantations from coast to coast. Java’s volcanic and fertile soil allowed these early Coffea Arabica varieties to thrive, until leaf rust decimated crops throughout the island in the late-19th century, leading to the eventual adoption and cultivation of Liberica and Robusta. The latter remains its primary crop, accounting for about 80% of coffee production, with Arabica not seeing a resurgence on the island until the mid-20th century.
Today, coffee continues to be an integral and inescapable part of the landscape of West Java. Farms in Indonesia are typically located on family-owned land, or within government-owned agroforestry areas and leased to growers. The latter case describes the majority of farms on Java, where farmers plant and cultivate within protected forests (so long as trees are not disturbed) in a concerted effort of conservation.
This selection, Java Papatong, named for the island’s ubiquitous dragonflies, combines lots from two producer groups, Legok Kendang and Indragiri, located in neighboring areas outside Bandung near Ciwidey. The coffees have undergone anaerobic honey-style processing, during which the cherries were washed, floated, and sealed in oxygen-removed Ecotact bags for 120 hours under shade before being pulped and dried on raised beds, resulting in a uniquely sweet and expressive cup profile. While Indonesia may be a coffee region steeped in tradition, the willingness of its producers to push quality through experimentation and new methods ensures that distinctive coffees such as this one will continue to impress.
Producer: Legok Kendang and Indragiri Producer Groups
Altitude: 1400-1700 masl
Varietal(s): Typica, Sigarar Utang
Processing: Anaerobic Honey
We taste: Amaretto, Apricot, Red Tea
TIMOR-LESTE - DAURFUSU
Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is a relatively young country that primarily occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, whose western half is administered by Indonesia. Initially settled by Papuan and Austronesian populations thousands of years ago, East Timor sat under Portuguese colonial influence from the 16th century until Indonesian annexation in 1975, which was later followed by a declaration of independence in 1999. Rich in cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, and bearing similar Portuguese and Catholic influence to the island of Flores, East Timor is a spirited and promising member of the specialty coffee industry.
Though only accounting for around 0.2% of the global trade, coffee production has become the country’s primary agricultural export. The island’s mountainous interior and general terrain present challenges for development and infrastructure, but provide fertile soil and ideal elevation and conditions for producing exceptional coffee. Land ownership in East Timor can be complex, due to the intersection of tribal lands and land titles from its various eras of occupation and governance. In many cases, farm boundaries are managed at the community level, with disputes settled by village leadership.
This selection comes from Daurfusu, a 37-member farmer group in the Dukurai village community led by Simiao Pedro de Deus. A highly skilled producer, as well as quality officer, educator, and community figure, Simiao's coffees have also earned top accolades in East Timor coffee quality competitions. The group’s success has allowed them to expand their offerings and experiment with multiple processing styles, and we have been fortunate enough to feature their washed, honey, and natural processed lots over the last several years. This particular lot of coffee underwent a meticulous natural processing at the farmer level, with cherries dried on tarps and aided by the distinct dry season that coincides with the East Timor harvest. The coffee was then aggregated for further processing at the Lutlala washing station. With a clean, fruity, and intensely sweet profile, this coffee is emblematic of the bright present and future of East Timor specialty coffee.
Producer: Daurfusu Producer Group
Altitude: 1400-1600 masl
Varietal(s): Typica
Processing: Natural
We taste: Pineapple, Rum, Browned Butter
Written by Drew Frohn, with research support from Daniel Shewmaker, Coava's importing partner based in Java.