We have some more information about Sumatra in this newsletter. But the name Mandheling or Mandhailing appears earlier than the 1950’s, so the story may be apocryphal. Some have said it dates back to a Japanese soldier who started commercially importing coffee he had tasted during the Japanese occupation the name of the coffee he sought was associated with the ethnicity of the coffee shop owner. How this Sumatran coffee got named for a group is not known for sure. Interestingly, Mandheling does not refer to a name, but an ethnic group. In addition, 'Mandheling' coffee was gaining a reputation as well.

Robusta replaced almost all the Arabica on Java, so by the early 20th century, Sumatran coffee, which still had some Arabica production, had eclipsed Java’s in terms of reputation. Last year, Indonesia’s total exports topped 56 million pounds last year, with only 12% of that being Arabica. Sumatra currently has Indonesia’s highest production of coffee. By 1900, much of Arabica had been replaced by Robusta coffee trees, which were resistant to coffee rust. Peak production (prior to the coffee rust which destroyed most of the Arabica coffee trees) reached 21 million pounds in 1860. As production grew, so did exports, and by 1840, they had exceeded 12 million pounds. However, the first exports of coffee from this area did not ship until the early 19th century. Success came with a second planting in 1699, and coffee spread to the other islands, including Sumatra. Indonesia was planted with coffee as early as 1696 when the Dutch sent slips from Malabar in India. The arabica is grown at higher elevations than the robusta, and most of the growers are smallholders.Ī History of Indonesian and Sumatran Coffee That peak is Mount Kerinci, an active volcano and located about the midpoint of the range. It is divided by the Barisan range of mountains that is 12,467 ft tall at its highest. The island of Sumatra, the sixth largest in the world, is well suited for coffee. Espresso Coffee History and Information.Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee - Why Does it Taste So Good?.Cultivation of Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee Information.

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