Indonesian coffee beans are famous for their strong aroma and mellow taste. The coffee flavor has a sweet aftertaste and is very wonderful. Therefore, many coffee fans fall in love with the coffee beans here, among which Indonesian Mandheling is the most representative. Many people know that there are many types of Mandheling. For example, FrontStreet Coffee has 5 types in its store, but the most famous one is the golden Mandheling produced by PWN Company. Then in this article, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce some science about Indonesia.PWNThe flavor characteristics of the production area of Golden Mandheling.
The origin of the name of Indonesian Mandheling coffee beans
Senior coffee fans know that most coffee beans are named after the estates where they are produced, such as the Monster Estate coffee beans in Costa Rica that were recently put on the shelves at FrontStreet Coffee, or the Yirgacheffe coffee beans in Ethiopia. The origin of the name Mandheling involves an interesting little story.
According to Front Street, the origin of this story is that when Japanese soldiers returned to Japan after colonizing Indonesia, they were obsessed with the delicious local coffee. So they used their trade friends to ask locals to help collect high-quality coffee beans, including this Mandheling. The Japanese liked this coffee bean very much and asked for its name. The locals mistakenly thought they were asking where they were from, so they blurted out "Mandailing". The Japanese mistakenly said "Mandailing" as "Mandehling". Due to this double misunderstanding, Mandheling became the name of a coffee bean. And this local man is the owner of PWN (Pwani Coffee Company), which produces Indonesian gold mandheling, which will be mentioned below.
Golden Mandheling "The Battle"
Friends who are coffee fans should know that Japanese people like to study in detail, especially in the field of food. The Golden Mandheling coffee beans were originally promoted by the Japanese, who were bound to be better at seizing high-quality resources. Therefore, they improved the characteristic of Mandheling defective beans being relatively high, and formulated a strict screening system. After the processed green beans were screened by density and color separation, they had to manually pick the beans four times to present Golden Mandheling with uniform color and uniform bean shape. After strict screening, the Golden Mandheling not only lacks the earthy smell unique to ordinary Mandheling, but also tastes cleaner and more translucent, and has a stronger sweetness.
But it is a pity that Gold Top Mandheling has already been registered as a trademark. The registrant was not a Japanese company, but the Indonesian company Pawani, which was the first company, that is, PWN Company (Pwani Coffee Company), and then the Japanese company was forced to change it to "Gold Top Mandheling", which is Dingshang Gold Mandheling. A slight difference can be seen in the bean types between the two. PWN Company's coffee beans are mainly ancient Typica, which has a larger bean size. However, in 2020, PWN Company recently launched the Ateng variety of coffee beans to grow golden mandheling, while Japan's Dingshang coffee beans are mainly a variant of Typica, which has a smaller bean size. In terms of flavor, which one is better is a matter of opinion.
Indonesian Mandheling coffee origin
FrontStreet Coffee's previous articles have often mentioned that there are three major factors that determine the flavor of coffee beans, namely coffee bean production area, variety and processing method. Then FrontStreet Coffee will focus on these three points to talk about Mandheling coffee.
Mandheling is mainly produced in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the largest island in Indonesia and is located near the equator. It has a typical tropical rainforest climate with high temperature, humidity and abundant rainfall, so it is very suitable for the growth of high-quality Arabica coffee beans.
However, due to the limited altitude of the Indonesian producing areas, there is limited space for planting high-quality Arabica coffee beans. Therefore, only 25% of the coffee beans produced in Indonesia belong to the Arabica species. The Arabica species can only have the best flavor when grown at high altitudes, so the remaining 75% are Robusta coffee trees that can be grown at low altitudes. In the entire Indonesia, the highest altitude is Sumatra.
In the past, the best quality traditional Arabica coffee produced in northern Sumatra would be sold on the market under the name Lindong Mandheling, but nowadays, to be precise, Lindong Mandheling coffee beans refer to the coffee grown in a small area southwest of Tobahu, Lindong Administrative Region.
Aceh Gayoo Mountain Production Area
According to Front Street, PWN Company has chosen a new production area in 2020, which is the Aceh Kayu Mountain in the Sumatra production area, which is located in the northernmost corner of Sumatra Island. The coffee cultivation in Mount Gayoo is mainly around the town of Takegon and the slopes next to Lake Tawa. The average altitude of the production area is between 1100 and 1600 meters. The quality of its coffee has always been excellent. However, due to the previous political instability, the coffee in this area was difficult to export. In recent years, the situation has been peaceful, and coffee planting in Aceh has also been developed, and the quality is better than that in Lindong.
Indonesian Mandheling coffee processing method
FrontStreet Coffee is mentioned above. Indonesian Mandheling coffee is loved by the majority of coffee lovers because of its unique flavor. This is actually due to Indonesia's unique coffee processing method-the Indonesian wet planing method. It is this processing method that gives Mandheling coffee a unique earthy, herbal, and spice flavor.
It is worth noting that when using the wet planing method, the semi-hard and semi-soft wet green beans are easily crushed when the pectin parchment layer is removed, and the beans are damaged and cracked like sheep's hooves, commonly known as sheep's hoof beans. FrontStreet Coffee believes that this is a very distinctive feature of Mandheling and is not considered a defective bean.
The origin of wet planing in Indonesia
The reason why Indonesia frequently uses the wet planing method to process coffee cherries is mainly because the local weather is often rainy and the typhoons are constant, which cannot achieve the good weather required for sun exposure. Moreover, the local economy is not good, and it is also impossible to use the more expensive method of washing, which leads to the wet planing method with local characteristics.
Of course, the development of coffee in Indonesia is no longer as poor as it was in the past. There are many estates and companies that can use the washing method, but they still have not given up on the wet planing method. Front Street believes that the wet planing method is the factor that makes Mandheling coffee go global. When it comes to Mandheling, people will think of the wet planing method. Obviously, the two have become complementary to each other.
The specific steps of the wet planing method can be divided into the following two stages:
In the first stage, a wooden peeling machine is used to remove the peel and pulp. After fermentation for 3 hours, it is dried to reduce the moisture content to 30-50%, which is semi-dry and semi-wet.
In the second stage, the pectin and sheepskin are removed, and the subsequent sun-drying process continues. The drying process takes 2-4 days and the moisture content is reduced to 12-13%.
In addition to regular wet planing, there is also an aged wet planing method. The coffee beans are first processed by the ordinary wet planing method, and then sealed in the warehouse for 2 to 3 years. The warehouse environment must be cool and ventilated, and the beans must be turned regularly to prevent mold and spoilage. During this period, the acidity of the coffee beans will slowly weaken and turn into sugar, and the color will also become darker, mostly yellowish brown or dark brown. The Mandheling coffee beans using this processing method on the FrontStreet Coffee bean list are called aged Mandheling coffee beans.
Indonesian Mandheling coffee varieties
Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet) Coffee) also mentioned that Mandheling is mainly cultivated in Sumatra. Its coffee varieties are generally based on pure Arabica coffee beans. However, Arabica coffee beans have weak resistance to pests. Therefore, in October 2020, the Indonesian pwn company transferred the original version of Golden Mandheling to The Typica variety was abandoned, and instead the Ateng variety of coffee beans were used to produce golden Mandheling. The Ateng variety coffee beans are actually the Catim variety coffee beans that are most widely planted in Yunnan production areas. Then Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Let’s talk about the characteristics of Typica and Katim varieties of coffee beans.
Typica
Typica is the oldest native variety in Ethiopia, and almost all Arabica coffee bean varieties today are derived from Typica. Typica has an elegant flavor, but has a weak constitution and low disease resistance, making it susceptible to leaf rust. In addition, the yield per plant of Typica is small and cannot achieve the economic benefits expected by farmers. In recent years, Typica in Central and South America has been gradually replaced by high-yielding varieties such as Caturra and Kaduai, and we have seen less and less Typica.
Ateng variety
PWN Golden Mandheling coffee beans use the Ateng coffee variety, which is actually the Katim we often hear.
In 1959, the Portuguese moved the Brazilian Bourbon mutant Catura to East Timor and mixed it with Tim with Robusta ancestry. It has super high disease resistance and is three times the production capacity of Typica. During the leaf rust crisis, the Indonesian government not only introduced Robusta (its flavor is far different from Arabica), but also introduced Tim to East Timor, intending to replace Typica. After subsequent investigations by experts, it was discovered that a batch of Tim seeds introduced by the Indonesian government in 1980 were mixed with some Katim seeds. These seeds were planted in Aceh in northern Sumatra, and the first area where Katim was discovered in Indonesia was central Aceh, so the locals also called Katim Ateng, which is taken from Aceh. Tengah (Central Aceh).
The above is the information about Indonesia compiled by FrontStreet CoffeePWNThe information about Golden Mandheling hopes to help coffee fans better understand the relevant knowledge so that they can choose the coffee beans that suit them. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to brew this coffee by hand.PWNGolden Mandheling Coffee Bean Bar.
FrontStreet Coffee——PWNGolden Mandheling coffee beans
Country: Indonesia
Production area: Sumatra Aceh Mount Gayoo
Altitude: 1100-1600m
Variety: Ateng
Treatment method: wet planing
Flavor: toast, nuts, pine, caramel, herbs
FrontStreet CoffeePWNGolden Mandheling Coffee Beans Brewing Recommendations
Filter cup: KONO
Powder weight: 15 grams
Pink to water ratio: 1:15
Water temperature: 86-87 degrees
Grinding degree: EK43s scale 11 grids (Chinese No. 20 standard sieve screening rate 70%)
FrontStreet CoffeePWNGolden Mandheling coffee brewing method: segmented extraction.
Inject 30 grams of water into the first stage and steam for 30 seconds. In the second stage, add small water flow in a circle and inject water to 125 grams. When the water level drops and the powder bed is about to be exposed, continue to inject water to 225 grams and stop injecting water in the third stage. When the water level drops and the powder bed is about to be exposed, remove the filter cup. (Steaming starts timing) The extraction time is 2'00'.
FrontStreet CoffeePWNGolden Mandheling coffee bean flavor:Varied layers, mellow and clean, high balance, rich nutty and caramel aroma, with chocolate flavor, and long-lasting finish.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
