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CATHERINE W GICHUKIDOHA As one of the major producers of coffee in the world, Indonesian Embassy in Qatar recently held a coffee cupping event to showcase the richness and flavours of the Indonesian coffee as the country eyes exporting coffee to Qatar. The event titled ‘Indonesian Coffee O’clock’ brought together representatives from the Indonesian coffee industry, entrepreneurs as well as Indonesian baristas who showcased the aromas and flavours of brewed coffee.Representative of Indonesian coffee industry, JAVANERO INDONESIA and coffee entrepreneurs from Qatar from SONGOAJI and KEKE Roastery shared information and insights about Indonesian coffee while four talented Indonesian baristas showcased their skills at the event.Speaking at the event, Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar HE Ridwan Hassan said that according to the data of Ministry of Trade of Indonesia, during 2021, Indonesia exported coffee worth $842.5 million to all over the world, with highest proportion exported to United States and Europe.He added that Qatar has imported $19.2 million from across the world, while only very few percent was imported from Indonesia. “Hence, there is still so much room of opportunities in Qatar for Indonesian coffee, particularly for specialty Arabica coffee. We would like to see more Indonesia coffee here in Qatar as we have seen the growth of coffee shops and roasteries all over Qatar as well as the growth of appreciation and love for coffe,” the envoy said.The ambassador said that after the event, the Indonesian coffee will not only be better known in Qatar but will also become more available and reach more coffee lovers. “According to Thomas Jefferson in 1824, ‘Coffee is the favourite drink of the civilized world’. That saying depicts the important role of coffee to the world society, not only for consumer’s delight of drinking it but also for its economic value to the coffee bean producing and exporting countries,” he said.The envoy said that currently, Indonesia is the 4th largest coffee producing country in the world, following Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam, and coffee that traded globally is usually a combination of roasted beans and green beans, both for Arabica and Robusta variants. “As for Indonesia, coffee does not only provide the experience of taste but also cultural identity. With the climate condition in the country as well as the blessing of its mountainous areas, coffee can grow very well in Indonesia,” Ambassador Hassan said.He said that coffee plantation in Indonesia started in 1690s during the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) time. It then became one of the Dutch top commodities. He explained that VOC exported the first batch of Indonesia’s coffee in 1711, which grew to 60 tonnes per year only within 10 years.The ambassador said, being the world’s largest archipelago and located in the equator, Indonesia offers plenty of coffee types to the world, especially those termed as specialty coffee. “The specialty varieties include those cultivated in various places in Indonesia, such as Gayo, Flores, Sidikalang, Toraja, and of course Java. Each of the specialties has its own distinguished aroma and taste. Over the year, the number of exported specialty coffee from Indonesia keeps growing. Indonesia’s specialty Arabica coffee has also gained worldwide acknowledgment with nearly 100 genetic varieties of Arabica coffee available,” he added.
