Oceania

Perhaps the best known coffee producing country in this region is Indonesia. It has traditionally employed a unique processing method that is still widely used today. Especially prevalent on the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, Giling Basah (or wet-hulling) is a process by which parchment is removed from the coffee seed before it has reached the moisture content often used for dry-milling elsewhere. As a result the bean is left soft and vulnerable and sometimes may absorb environmental conditions or become damaged. However, this is how coffees from this region have gained their “classic” cup characteristics such as big body, low acidity, and earth-toned flavors. Recently, increases in investment to produce wet-hulled coffees of higher quality with more strenuous processing and sorting have resulted in some wonderfully clean and complex coffees from Indonesia that still retain the unique qualities of this territory. In addition to wet-hulled coffees from Indonesia, countries like Papua New Guinea and East Timor are harvesting very excellent coffees. Papua New Guinea especially can boast very unique and exciting cup profiles. Give one a try; we’re sure you’ll love it.