Coffees of the World – Part 2
There really is nothing like a good cup of coffee, is there not? Perhaps that is one of the reasons coffee is one of the most popular hot beverages in the world. How popular is it? The latest estimates suggests as many as 10 million tons of coffee are consumed every year.
The wonderful thing about coffee is the variety available to consumers. In the first part of this four-part series, we talked about some of the varieties cultivated on the African continent. In part two, we will discuss coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean. Needless to say, there is no shortage of choices for coffee lovers.
Coffees of Indonesia
Indonesia is both a country and an archipelago consisting of more than 13,400 islands stretching from the eastern Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific, located in Southeast Asia. Its 33 provinces are incredibly diverse thanks to its rich trading history and hundreds of years of colonialism. Some of Indonesia’s most loved coffees are:
Sulawesi – The island of Sulawesi is a mountainous island in the Malay Archipelago off the coast of Borneo. Their coffee is smooth, full-bodied, lightly acidic and with a very earthy flavor. Some people describe it as being ‘bright’.
Sumatra – Coffee from Sumatra is a truly unique experience. You will notice it is different right away, due to its syrupy consistency and unusually dark, blue-green color. As for the flavor, Sumatran coffee tastes slightly chocolate-like. The flavor is very smooth, rich, and deep.
Timor – Timor is an island at the eastern edge of the archipelago divided into eastern and western regions. The western region is part of Indonesia while the eastern region is independent. Regardless, their coffee is one of the best-kept secrets of Indonesia. Timorese coffee is grown organically and dry processed. Moreover, although it has an earthy taste, it is slightly sweet. It can be musty, however.
Javanese – Among all of the cultural groups in Indonesia, the Javanese are the most popular. Their coffee is also the most popular in the region. It is wet processed for a less earthy taste; the flavor is less acidic and smoother.
That about sums up coffee from Indonesia. You might consider trying them if you are looking for something unique.
Coffees of the Caribbean
The islands of the Caribbean are mostly known for sugarcane and rum. Yet they actually have some very exciting coffees. Here are two of our favorites:
Jamaica – The most well known coffee from the Caribbean is Jamaican Blue Mountain. Genuine Blue Mountain is mild, smooth, and well balanced. It is the most expensive coffee in the world with a price that can be as much as 20 times higher than other coffees.
Puerto Rico – The Yauco variety from Puerto Rico is said to be as good as Blue Mountain. Nevertheless, since Yauco is not nearly as well known as Blue Mountain, the price is considerably lower. This is a great option if you want to try Caribbean coffee without paying an arm and a leg. Yauco is rich, smooth, and slightly sweet and fruity.
This concludes our tour of coffees from Indonesia and the Caribbean. The third part in this series will take a look at coffees from Central and South America. Coffees from these regions are what we consume most of here in the United States.
In the meantime, we hope you’ll consider Galaxie Coffee for your office coffee service. We have been proudly serving businesses and organizations in the New York Metro region with the best coffee, water and beverage service since 1969.