Sumatra wet planing method introduces which varieties of Sumatran coffee are concentrated in Italian style.

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Where do Sumatran coffee beans come from?

Sumatran coffee is produced in the Sunda Islands. The Sunda Islands are a group of islands off the western coast of Indonesia. Sumatra (located in Sumatra, Indonesia) is one of the largest, hence the name for caffeine grown in the area.

The Sunda Islands are located at the center of the so-called coffee green belt. Its tropical climate, coupled with hot and humid weather, makes the best coffee in the world.

Facts and data of Sumatran beans

Growth area: Aceh, Lin Tong, Southwest China, Lampung

Craft: Ji Ling Basha (also known as wet shelling)

Altitude: 800-1500 m above sea level

Common varieties (Arabica): Typica, Caturra, bourbon, s-line hydride, Tim Tim

Palate: full-bodied, sweet cedar, sweet pepper, unique chocolate, earthy and balsamic vinegar

Small farms and distribution cooperatives

Take a look at this video discussing the trade and production process in Sumatra:

Coffee in Sumatra is usually grown on small farms. These farms are usually small plots of land, and only a small number of trees are planted by families who can only have up to 100 coffee trees. Farms in this area usually work in organized partnerships, which allows them to sell their products together and distribute profits equally among them.

Typically, a cooperative in Indonesia consists of 20-1200 members who are required to follow strict handling guidelines and workplace requirements. Some cooperatives even share knowledge and help consolidate their group's position by helping small farms improve their technologies and processes.

In general, cooperatives allow small farms to meet market demand and ensure that they continue to produce coffee next year.

WET-HULLING processing

Another reason why Sumatran coffee is unique is the way it is harvested. Usually, Sumatran coffee is processed by a method called "wet shell".

Wet shelling is one of many ways to dry coffee beans. The coffee beans we know and love are the seeds of coffee cherries at first. You can imagine that from the fruit, they are wet.

Usually, in other coffee-producing countries, they are dried until they have an 11% moisture content, and then processed in other ways. However, due to the changeable weather in Sumatra, farmers only have about four hours of dry time every day, and then the heavy rain begins to pour, which could ruin all their hard work.

To solve this problem, coffee beans just need to dry until the moisture reaches 50%. They are then sold / transported to a special wet machine, which uses friction to complete the drying process and removes the coffee beans from the protective layer (called parchment). In the process, the machine helps the coffee beans ferment and produce a complex earthy flavor.

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