Page 97 - 92 EN

C

Why isn’t Kopi Gayo Called “Mandheling”?
Recalling the 3-day journey in the Gayo
Where does the name “Mandheling” come from? In origin, what touched us the most were
fact, it is neither the name of a coffee bean variety nor
an origin, but of the local Mandailing ethnic group. The the smiles of coffee farmers, in addition
story stems from a minor mistake: a Japanese soldier
thought the coffee he drank was called “Mandheling” in to the good coffee.
his talks with Indonesians. When the coffee was later
shipped to Japan by companies, it turned out to be a big ers recognized the commercial value of coffee, their
hit in the market and went global. Now, “Mandheling” is previous agricultural structure dominated by pepper and
used to refer to all Arabica coffee produced in Sumatra. tea gave way.
In other words, it has no real meaning. As the demand Today, the mountains of Gayo Highlands are full of
for Mandheling grows, controversy has arisen over the coffee trees. “That’s a whole area of wild trees over here.
quality and consistency, and the generic name has become Along our drive, you may notice the road is flanked by tall
not friendly for local coffee promotion. and short trees. The short ones are coffee trees. They’re
Some Mandheling may show an obvious herbal fla- naturally paired together,” Sumardo told us after getting
vor, but some stand out with woody tones, confusing you out of the car. Local farmers keep the traditional agrofor-
with the quality and consistency. The generic name is to estry composite system to plant different fruits, such as
blame to a large degree, because what you drink may be plantain and passion fruit, alongside crops and forest trees,
a commercial blend of beans from various regions. To such as coffee, rice, and corn. Such a system prevents soil
differentiate the beans, different nomenclature has been erosion, improves the microclimate of farmland, and allows
used in the international market, such as Sumatra Mand- various plants and crops to supplement each other’s growth.
heling, Sumatra Gayo and Mandheling Gayo. The locals In the coffee field, we ate guavas, plantains, passion fruits,
use the name “Kopi Gayo” for the same reason – to em- loquat fruits, and coffee berries. All tasted sweet.
phasize the specialty grade. “The Gayo people are proud Such high quality is owed to the natural conditions.
of their coffee beans. You can feel it from the start of the The average temperature in the Gayo Highlands stands at
harvest. They consciously pick the bright red berries and 20°c throughout the year, with no seasonal differences. In
rarely blend with beans from other regions. Here, you addition to fertile volcanic soil, coffee growing conditions
can even buy coffee beans from designated hills,” local here are characterized by a humid tropical climate and high
Q-Grader Sumardo told us. altitude. The coffee-growing areas range from 1,100-1,600m
How good is Gayo coffee? A Dutch trading com- above sea level. Each hill has its own microclimate, with
pany once attempted to register a trademark under year-round rain and fog. During the harvest season, there
“Gayo Mountain Coffee” to monopolize the market. To may be more than one rainfall in a day. All these conditions
avoid unfair trade practices, Gayo coffee has now ob- are ideal for coffee planting and processing.
tained geographical indication certification and the
E.U. trademark. Countless Hands and Machines Prior to
Export
Gayo Highlands, Biodiversity Hotspots
Gayo coffee comes from small-scale farming. The
Sumatra Island sits on the golden belt of coffee Arabica produced here are mainly Catimor and Typica,
origins. Gayo Highlands is a famous growing area for which can be harvested twice a year – the big harvest
Arabica coffee. during October-December, and a small harvest during
Located among the mountains of Central Aceh, North March-May. A long processing and marketing chain from
Sumatra, the Gayo Highlands is part of the Mount Leuser the origin of the Medan port is also included.
National Park, one of the biodiversity hotspots. The har- Hope all of us will have opportunities to
vesting of wild fruits alone generates massive income and
employment opportunities for local people. Most of them visit the Gayo origin again and again,
are farmers who are highly dependent on agricultural
products, including coffee. and share the circulated happiness with
In the 17th century, the Dutch introduced coffee to
their colony in Indonesia. In 1904, the Dutch established local coffee farmers.
the first coffee plantation in Tanah Gayo. As local farm-

96 97