Our new Sumatran lots are arriving in Barcelona in exactly 10 days from now! And we are very excited about it, because this year's selection is better than ever! We have been able to verify that the quality of our partner Cooperatives in Sumatra has consistently improved since we started working with this origin in 2015.
But how has this happened? How can such an underestimated and undervalued origin by the world of specialty coffee, can become a new quality trend in many countries, and a No. 1 favourite for many coffee enthusiasts around the world in such a short time?
We believe that the answer to these questions is based on three fundamental changes that Sumatran producers understood, adopted and were willing to work very hard to achieve.
1.- Low price of coffee: We all want to live well, we all have bills to pay and we all want to give our children a good education. Sumatran coffee growers are no exception to that, and they understood that the key to improving their quality of life was to concentrate on producing high quality lots in order to obtain better prices. The only way that "C" prices would work in real life, it would be for a large estate, with many hectares of land and with large volumes of production. For small coffee farmers who own less than one hectare of cultivated land, the focus must be on high quality coffee and intercropping.
We believe that the answer to these questions is based on three fundamental changes that Sumatran producers understood, adopted and were willing to work very hard to achieve.
1.- Low price of coffee: We all want to live well, we all have bills to pay and we all want to give our children a good education. Sumatran coffee growers are no exception to that, and they understood that the key to improving their quality of life was to concentrate on producing high quality lots in order to obtain better prices. The only way that "C" prices would work in real life, it would be for a large estate, with many hectares of land and with large volumes of production. For small coffee farmers who own less than one hectare of cultivated land, the focus must be on high quality coffee and intercropping.
2.- Traceability: today in Sumatra, it is not uncommon to find small cooperatives dedicated to producing traditionally cultivated coffees, in a specific area, with a determined variety and produced by a small and identifiable group of people. The lots are fully traceable, to a small village or a small group of coffee growers. This reality responds to a worldwide demand for quality and reliable information. Unlike before, when most of Sumatra's coffee was sold under the name of "Sumatra Mandheling," when there is no place, call Mandheling in Sumatra.
Processing methods: There are many producers who are experimenting with different processing methods and fermentations in Sumatra. Although, these are new and powerful tools for them, they are improving and gaining experience quickly. We really hope that very soon we will be able to be buying natural, honeys, wine, and more lots with experimental processing methods, but until today we do not believe that the industry has reached that level yet. But there is one processing method that for us is the King, and until today, we haven’t been able to find any better coming from this exotic island and neither from the whole Indonesian Archipelago. This is Giling Basah! If you don’t know what Giling Basah is, please check our Youtube channel, we have a couple of explanatory videos there, both in English and Spanish. We'll leave the link of our channel in the bio.
Enjoy your Sumatran Coffee, and always remember: DO NOT buy cheap coffee!
Enjoy your Sumatran Coffee, and always remember: DO NOT buy cheap coffee!
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