Indonesia - MC Grecof

Introduction

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Card:

Background:

The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include: implementing IMF-mandated reforms of the banking sector, effecting a transition to a popularly elected government after four decades of authoritarianism, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military accountable for human rights violations, and resolving growing separatist pressures in Aceh and Irian Jaya. On 30 August 1999 a provincial referendum for independence was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur. Concurrence followed by Indonesia's national legislature, and the name East Timor was provisionally adopted. The independent status of East Timor - now under UN administration - has yet to be formally established.

Geography

Location:

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

Coordinates:

5° 00' S, 120° 00' E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: 1,919,440 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km

Land boundaries:

total: 2,602 km
border countries: Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

Coastline:

54.716 km

Climate:

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain:

Mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Geography - note:

archipelago of 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean

People

Population:

228.437.870 (July 2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian

Ethnic groups:

Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%

Religions:

Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)

Languages:

Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese

Government

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia
local short form: Indonesia
former: Ne?__therlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies

Government type:

Republic

Capital:

Jakarta

National holiday:

Independence Day, 17 August (1945)

Constitution:

August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy

Economy - overview:

Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, faces severe economic problems, stemming from secessionist movements and the low level of security in the regions, the lack of reliable legal recourse in contract disputes, corruption, weaknesses in the banking system, and strained relations with the IMF. Investor confidence will remain low and few new jobs will be created under these circumstances. Growth of 4.8% in 2000 is not sustainable, being attributable to favorable short-term factors, including high world oil prices, a surge in nonoil exports, and increased domestic demand for consumer durables.

Industries:

petroleum and natural gas; textiles, apparel, and footwear; mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood; rubber; food; tourism

Agriculture - products:

rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs

Currency:

Indonesischer Rupiah (IDR)

Currency code:

IDR

Transportation

Railways:

total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (101 km electrified; 101 km double track); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (1995)

Highways:

total: 342,700 km
paved: 158,670 km
unpaved: 184,030 km (1997)

Waterways:

21,579 km total

Notes:

Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Sulawesi (Celebes) 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km

Ports and harbors:

Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya

Coffee

Sulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial name for the island. Indonesians are available as dry, semi-washed and washed coffees. While a fully washed coffee may appear to have less defects, it may be inferior in the cup to a ugly, dry-processed coffee. (A recent Sumatra sample I cupped that was perfect & polished was probably the most flavorless, dull Mandheling I have ever had!) Dry processed, wild coffees will have more body and often more of the character that makes Indonesians so appealing and slightly funky: grading seems to often ignore percentage of weird looking beans. The fact is, most dry processed are truly semi-washed: the coffee seed in its outer parchment layer is pulped out of the outer fruit skin while on the farm, then the coffee is either fermented and washed, or just washed, and laid out to sun dry. True dry-processed coff?__ee is simply laid out to dry with the fruit intact, then skin and parchement layer are striped in one step, and hand-sorting begins.There is a tendency to over-roast Indonesians. The reason is that they don't show as much roast color, and have a mottled appearance up until 2nd crack and even a bit into it. Don't let this make you think you have to roast them dark (although they can be nice this way too). Great Indonesians will be wonderful roasted just to the verge of 2nd crack but NOT into it at all. So ignore the weird beans you see green, and ignore the mottled appearance of lighter roasts, and focus on the what you get in the CUP!

Coffee production in Sumatra began in the 18th century under colonial domination, introduced first to the northern region of Aceh around Lake Tawar Lake. Most coffee is produced around the Lake Toba region, in the subregions of Lintong Nihuta, Sumbul, and the aforementioned Takengon. But Sumatrans are not often sold by region, because presumably the regional differences are not that distinct. Rather, the quality of the picking, preparation and processing of the coffee determines much of the cup character in this coffee. In fact, Sumtrans are sold as Mandheling, which is simply the Indonesian ethnic group that is most involved in coffee production! (see note below).Indonesians are available as dry, semi-washed and (sometimes) fully-washed coffees. While a fully washed coffee may appear to have less defects, it may be inferior in the cup to a ugly, dry-processed coffee. (A recent Sumatra sample I cupped that was perfect & polished was probably the most flavorless, dull Mandheling I have ever had!) Dry processed, wild coffees will have more body and often more of the character that makes Indonesians so appealing and slightly funky: grading seems to often ignore percentage of weird looking beans. There i?__s a tendency to over-roast Indonesians. The reason is that they don't show as much roast color, and have a mottled appearance up until 2nd crack and even a bit into it. Don't let this make you think you have to roast them dark (although they can be nice this way too). Great Indonesians will be wonderful roasted just to the verge of 2nd crack but NOT into it at all. So ignore the weird beans you see green, and ignore the mottled appearance of lighter roasts, and focus on the what you get in the CUP.A quasi-historical note: Mandailing, spelled here "correctly," is technically an ethnic group in Indonesia, not a region. The coffee is called Mandheling from tradition, based on a perhaps mythical encounter between occupying Japanese soldiers and Mandailing coffee shop owners. When asking what the excellent coffee the were being served was, the owner misunderstood and thought they were asking what HE was. His reply was, of course "Mandailing". Later a former Japanese soldier contacted a businessperson in Sumatra after the war, and asked if the excellent coffee "Mandheling" was commercially available. The broker was the famed Pwani, and they shipped 15 tons of coffee to Japan that year. But can you see the great irony here? The person that desired the great "Mandheling" coffee actually created it in the act of asking for it. (Higher quality all-arabica coffee was never exported from Indonesia before this). The authenticity of the coffee was based not on its true origin, cultivar, or other "real" determinations of cup character, but in the language of this initial exchange. Of course, over time Mandheling has come to mean a lot, and have very specific cup qualities. But you will find a similar situation with Yemeni brokers who blend coffees for US importers seeking "Mocca". Its suited to US tastes, a milder cup for softer palettes from a blend of Yemeni origins, not too wild in the cup. BTW: the above story is from a Sumatran source, but in fact the 1903 Sears Wholesale?__ Grocery Catalog listed "Java Mandailing" for sale (it was common until recently to call all Indonesian coffees Java such-and-such, like Java Timor or Java Kallosi etc) so Mandailing was definitely in use long before the '50s.

Timor is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, cruely annexed by Indonesia and recently liberated in a referendum. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started several years ago after the political crisis had resulted in untended coffee farms and horrible quality. It's all due to a US AID grant to revitalize the rural economy and give small farmers a cash crop.

Most people are aware of the recent independence of East Timor. Yes, the majority of the coffee is from East Timor and directly benefits the organic farmer's cooperatives! Interestingly, Timor coffee is also cultivated from its own distinct Timor varietal, which was crossed with Caturra to create the dreaded Catimor. While both Caturra and Timor are respected old-school varietals, Catimor is appreciated by farmers for its rapid growth and production of coffee cherry, but does not cup well next to either of its parent varietals.

Growing-areas:

Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi (former Celebes), Timor, Flores, Bali

Harvest:

all year round

Shippingperiod:

all year round

Port of Export:

Sumatra:
Java:
Celebes:
Bali:
Timor:

Belawan, Pandjang, Palembang, Benkulu, Padang
Surabaya, Semarang
Ujung Pandang
Buleleng
Kupang - Dili

Shipment:

in container in bags (285/320 bags of abt. 60,- kos net) or bulk 19,2/21 tons

Production:

5,670,000 bags

Export figures:

5,141,294 bags

Caffeine content:

Sumatra Robusta: JavacArabica:
Arabica Sulawesi:
Arabica Timor:

1.65 %
1.20 %
1.22 %
1.32 %