Coffee from Tangse, Pidie, Aceh, is not as famous as that from Gayo, Central Aceh and Bener Meriah. However, over the last several years Tangse coffee has become increasingly popular. The efforts made by Edi Azhari.
By
ZULKARNAINI
·6 minutes read
Born into a family of farmers and having grown coffee since childhood, only now did Edi realize that coffee is promising “black gold”. Edi wants Tangse coffee to be promoted and on a par with other coffee varieties in the Indonesian archipelago.
“Tangse coffee was once popular. Owing to conflict, many farmers have no opportunity to take care of their plantations. But now we are again focusing on coffee cultivation,” said Edi on Thursday (2/2/2023) when visited at his coffee shop in Tangse.
Tangse is a district in Pidie regency, Special Region of Aceh. It is around 60 kilometers from the hub of Pidie city. Located at the altitude of 600 - 1,000 meters, Tangse is endowed with fertile soil. Durian and rice are its prized commodities. Yet the presence of coffee, once local farmers’ idol, should not be overlooked.
Edi was born and grew up in Tangse. His parents were farmers. As an elementary school student, he frequently accompanied his father, plucking coffee cherries. After being cleaned and dried in the sun, his mother roasted the coffee beans. Every morning he noticed his father sipping coffee.
In Tangse there are two coffee species: Liberica and Robusta. Some farmers also grow Arabica, but its quality is not equal to that of Gayo’s Arabica. This is because the altitude of Tangse is more suitable to Liberica and Robusta coffee.
In the 1990s cacao was booming. The soaring price of cacao prompted farmers to abandon coffee. Coffee plants were replaced by cacao trees. But the heyday of cacao did not last long due to pest attacks.
During the period of armed conflict in Aceh, the situation in Tangse was very tense. Exchanges of fire frequently occurred, scaring farmers away from plantations. Coffee plants were uncared for but some of them kept growing and bearing fruits.
Attending college
Amid the Aceh conflict, Edi received a scholarship to attend college in Yogyakarta. But before finishing his study, an earthquake and tsunami forced him to return home earlier. Then he was active in several nongovernmental organizations, rehabilitating post-disaster Aceh.
The tsunami was followed by peace in 2005. The favorable security conditions encouraged farmers to get back to the estates. They began tending their neglected plants. Edi was surprised to witness his parents’ coffee plants still producing fruits. The intention to restore his family estate struck him. “Coffee plants here are hardy, growing even without proper care, let alone being well-tended,” said Edi.
Coffee plants here are hardy, growing even without proper care, let alone being well-tended.
From 2015 to 2017, Edi seriously studied about coffee, traveling back and forth between Tangse and Takengon, Central Aceh. He learned how to cultivate coffee, process postharvest coffee and gained bartending knowledge.
Already feeling competent in coffee matters, Edi and his two peers jointly opened a coffee shop in the center of Tangse city. At the shop named H2E Kopi they sell various kinds of coffee like Liberica, Robusta and Arabica.
Edi wants the shop to serve not only as a selling place, but also a forum where people learn together about coffee. Edi steadfastly gives explanations about Tangse coffee to his customers. He is well versed in the history of Tangse coffee from upstream to downstream.
He puts a roasting machine near the kitchen where coffee is prepared to enable visitors to watch coffee processing. “This machine was granted by the Pidie regency administration, which supports our endeavor to promote Tangse coffee,” said Edi.
His shop was not so busy that afternoon. Several youths were savoring coffee while playing with their gadgets. From the coffee shop, a green mountain range and an expanse of yellow paddy fields could be seen, offering a relaxing view.
All of the coffee in his shop is produced by Tangse farmers. Edi purchases green beans from the farmers there. He has a group of farmers he fosters and buys their coffee at higher prices. Robusta costs Rp 35,000 per kilogram and Liberica Rp 33,000 per kg.
Uniquely, H2E shop does not offer filtered coffee but it uses an espresso machine. Actually, in Aceh, Robusta and Liberica coffee is normally filtered. Arabica is commonly served with an espresso machine.
Edi just opposes the practice. He wants to give coffee fair treatment. That each type of coffee has its own aroma and taste is something natural. “We also sell original coffee, processed without being mixed with corn and sugar,” said Edi.
Before the opening of H2E shop, Tangse coffee was sold to outer regions to small and medium coffee-processing businesses. After being turned into powder it was sold with other brand names, without any mention of Tangse. As a comparison, even chickens have eggs as their origin, cows are named as in the case of telur mata sapi (literally cow-eye egg, fried egg sunny-side up).
We have to give a brand to Tangse coffee to make it famous.
For this reason, Edi also produces coffee powder. On its packages are printed “premium Kopi Tangse”, as part of Edi’s attempt to popularize Tangse coffee. It is also sold through the shop in the network. “We have to give a brand to Tangse coffee to make it famous,” said the father of two.
Edi’s hard work has begun to be fruitful. Lately, Tangse coffee has appeared at provincial and national coffee exhibitions. Besides, Edi has several times been a juror of coffee contests.
Edi created a network covering national and international markets. Last year he sent samples of Liberica coffee to Malaysia. The buyers there requested 10 tonnes every three months, but Edi could not fulfill it.
“The stocks may be available but the quality cannot yet be guaranteed,” said Edi.
The area of coffee estates in Tangse is around 1,500 hectares but the rate of productivity is low. Nevertheless, farmers are enthusiastic about expanding their plantations. Edi hopes many circles will be prepared to get involved in the development of Tangse coffee so that someday it can achieve the standing of the other coffee varieties that are already well known.