My 5 Star Certified Photos! Yes, 5 Star Certified. That’s what you have to do when you take your fancy camera to Sumatra, and proceed to take 1250 photos.
Too many pictures for sure … and that’s after paring them down on a daily basis. You end up with a mere 202 verified 5 star images. I jest. But I hope this image set and the comments will give some indication of both hope and futility of trying to figure out the SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... ...more coffee system, and exactly how anything can survive it and actually taste good.
Sumatra defies all logic. Whatever you learn in other coffee-producing places rarely applies here. And seemingly they break every rule in the process. But then Sumatra doesn’t taste like other coffees. Should it?
If Sumatra conformed to other “best practices” would we have a wanna-be, second-rate wet-process style coffee to call Sumatra? Or is it better that all these CatimorAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... ...more and Hibrido de TimorHibrido de Timor abbreviated HdT is the interspecies hybrid of C. Arabica and C. Canephora (Robusta) that was found in Timor Leste in the 1940s. This was presumed... ...more cultivars, with mixed arabicaArabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species name of the genus responsible for around 75% of the worlds commercial coffee crop.: Arabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the... ...more and robustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any... ...more genes, should be processed in a way that obscures there varietal character?
These are the questions rolling around in my mind as I traveled on to AcehThe northernmost district in SumatraL Aceh District is north of North Sumatra and produces some very classic Sumatra coffees. The center of coffee in Aceh is Lake Tawar... ...more on this IOM project with Hans Langenbahn from Germany and fellow Yankee George Howell (with Laurie Howell too).
A stimulating trip, filled with discussions about possibilities, doused by the realities of fermentedAs a defect flavor, a fruit quality in a coffee that is excessively ripe, toward rotten. Fermented flavor can be the result of poor wet-processing, over-ripe cherry, or... ...more and rotting wet parchmentGreen coffee still in its outer shell, before dry-milling, is called Parchment coffee (pergamino). In the wet process, coffee is peeled, fermented, washed and then ready for drying... ...more, and broca bugs flying up from the coffee into your nostrils. Ay! -Tom
Medan Panorama – Welcome to Medan, now start sweating. From the swank Hotel Aryaduta, the biggest city in Sumatra looks like it is going through growing pains. But this is a resource rich place- sadly the road to riches is palm oil though. Medan, Sumatra. 
Grade One Sumatra? – So this is some context for a trip to Sumatra at this time. The market is so high for Sumatra, that there is incentive for fraud, like this …16 containers triage shipped as Sumatra Grade 1 to US importers. The exporter in Medan switched the coffee, then disappeared. That’s the level of trust right now between buyers and sellers here. 
Things look better when you shrink them. – Oddly, I sat next to manager of the airport in Banda Aceh on our short flight there from Medan. I wonder if he made a tiny managers office for himself in this model. Anyway, I can assure you that the model airport is not based on the real one. Trust me. Aceh, Sumatra 
Toy shop – Basically, anything that can be done on 2 wheels in Sumatra is done, and many things that should not be done. On the side-car “taxi” bikes we counted one with 7 people, another with school kids had over 10! Near Biren, Aceh, Sumatra 
Pick a sign, any sign – And don’t say you weren’t warned. I remember from my last Sumatra trip I was amused by the various pedestrian signs, some with thin people, some a bit more plump. Biren, Aceh, Sumatra IOM Office in Takengon – So we were here on a project to bring coffee buyers to provide feedback to buyers and exporters, part funds by the International Organization for Migration. A better coffee local market means Gayo people who fled in the conflict might return to a stable crop. Takengon, Aceh, Sumatra Ah, Takengon, how I did not miss thee, not at all. – A 6 hour drive to Takengon from Banda Aceh, a night in the fabulous Hotel Renggali, and of course, no beer with dinner. Aceh is under Sharia law. Beer is hard to find. Takengon, Aceh, Sumatra 
Buying coffee at KBQ Baburrayyan Coop / NCBA Mill – Price of parchment that comes in from the collectors is based on the number of defects and the smell, but from all appearances it looks like they accept anything. Aceh, Sumatra KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill – This was better quality parchment than what was being received from collectors. It would receive a small premium. Still it had a very very fruity smell. KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill. Aceh, Sumatra Malaysian school kinds on a tour of Aceh – They stopped for a tour of the coffee mill, but all wanted their pictures taken with us. At KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill. Aceh, Sumatra KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill – Aceh, Sumatra The wet huller at KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill – The change to wet hulling from dry processing occurred in Gayo area around 1980. The reason was that they simply could not dry the coffee. Removing the outer skin aided in drying, but prematurely hulling out of parchment (wet-hulling) mean the coffee could dry that much faster. It works for mills to trade in humid coffee, since farmer has to do the labor of pulping and dispose of the byproduct. Aceh, Sumatra KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill – Aceh, Sumatra Coffee just wet-hulled – , ready to dry (40 moisture) Aceh, Sumatra KBQ Baburrayyan/NCBI – Aceh, Sumatra KBQ Baburrayyan Coop at NCBA Mill – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Typica in Takengon – We found very few old Typica trees on this trip. This was along the roadside, and I found it is called Kolpi Beras in local Gayo language. Aceh, Sumatra TimTim cultivar, most popular type with Gayo farmers. – They love the steady production from the plant and large bean size. It is very elongated in form. But TimTim is an form of Hibrido de Timor, the mutation of Robusta and Arabica, and not a great coffee in cup quality. Does it matter, given the way Gayo coffees are processed??? Aceh, Sumatra Too cheap to prune correctly – Here is an issue with farmer mentality. They break off branches and tops of trees to prune rather than pay $6 for a pair of pruning scissors to do it right. The trees don’t heal well from this and can rot at the cuts. In essence, they will not invest in coffee at all. On the plus side, they do not treat coffee with chemicals… So there is some benefit to cheapness. Aceh, Sumatra Uneven development of coffee cherry – In early stages, the flower blooms at different times so the coffee cherries mature at different rates. It tends to even out a bit in terms of size as they reach maturity. Aceh, Sumatra The classic Gayo pruning technique – Aceh, Sumatra Indocafco (Ecom) – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra takengon – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Typical roadside processing, Pegasing, Gayo area. – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra timtim – Aceh, Sumatra timtim – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra timtim – Aceh, Sumatra Mutiara Gayo (Taiwan couple) – Aceh, Sumatra Mutiara Gayo (Taiwan couple) – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Takengon, Gayo area, Aceh – Aceh, Sumatra Takengon, Gayo area, Aceh – Aceh, Sumatra 
– Aceh, Sumatra Lake Tawar – Aceh, Sumatra takengon – Aceh, Sumatra Older TimTim trees with Gayo pruning. – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Spooky coffee – Aceh, Sumatra Zaini – Atu Lintang area Aceh, Sumatra Purple blush – Aceh, Sumatra TimTim grafted onto TimTim – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Jagong Town – Aceh, Sumatra Jagong Town – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Tire Dryer – Aceh, Sumatra Lemon Grass – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Kodachrome Moments … Atu Lintang – Near Jagong Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Samsudin, farmer and collector for Irham – Peragan district, Linge area Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra Mango-scape – Aceh, Sumatra 
– Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – Aceh, Sumatra – – – – – – 
– – – – Near Parapat – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Jember – typica type – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Catuai – has some rust fungus – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Ateng with bronze tips – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Lasuna type – Local cultivar, brown leaf, horizontal branches, typica like, bigger leaf than jember . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Ateng – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Volkopi covered drying patios – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Cute puppies of Lintong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra A mess of jember typica – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Hans and tall Typica (Jember) – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Troll in the Onan Ganjang coffee tree – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra The unit of measure for coffee: Bambu or Litera – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Lettuce and Coffee – The good and bad of inter-cropping… they will invest much more work, money and time on vegetable crops- in fact vegetables like peppers are routinely treated with fertilizers and pesticides in Lintong area, but the coffee is grown organically (except for incidental contact or run-off from nearby vegetable beds). . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Krazy Citrus at the Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra A fish out of water is … a dried fish – :Market at Siborongborong . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Man-cats at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Peace from Phaoenix. Market at Siborongborong – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Pa Anto-Covered drying – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Best parchment -Pa Anto – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Opung BR – mother of Joner, alfreder, pa tom – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Good parchment at Opung BR bought direct from farm, fermented and washed – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Pulper damage and fungus – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Withered bean and broca damage – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Black Bean – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Immature coffee cherry – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Pulper Nicking – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Fungus – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Broca Damage and mold / fungus – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Iron deficient “golden bean” – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Good seed – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Good Peaberry – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Splitting as a result of wet huller damage – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra at joners (swiss) – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Gorga is batak carving, Tambak is the tomb – Dolok Sanggul town . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Gorga is batak carving, Tambak is the tomb – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Ibu Manurund pulping coffee – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra fermenting coffee in a bag overnight – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra ateng coffee opung Michael – ateng coffee . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Opung Michael – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Opung Michael and Michael – I took a poloroid image with my film camera, and gave it to them. Michael is crying in both pictures! The grandmother (Opung) will take the name of the youngest boy, son or grandson. Hence Opung Michael… and the changing of names throughout life as the family changes and grows. Men also change names. . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Yanti – The farm is entirely planted in Ateng, they told me. But as we left I could find some old Jember typica trees among the new catimor plantings. . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Yanti – all ateng . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra 
– . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Dolok Sanggul – Dolok means mountain, and Sanggul is (oddly) a traditional ornamental hairpiece worn by women. So Hairpiece Mountain = Dolok Sanggul ?!? . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Dolok Sanggul – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra George and Laurie, mobbed – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Dolok Sanggul – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Dominos and Tuak (local palm wine) bar – The local palm wine/beer in Batak area is Tuak. Tastes super fermented and harsh, but didn’t get me sick . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Broca gone wild – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Pa Tom and his daughter, Deborah – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra at Pa Tom – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Hugo – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Paco – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Nursery at Volkopi – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Hugo – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur park -view of Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur park -view of Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Wedding Party – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Wedding Party – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Wedding Party – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra 
My new career: Sumatran Wedding Photographer – So basically I wanted a picture of a Karaoke singer at a local wedding in Lintong Sumatra, and ended up being the impromptu wedding photographer, honored guest, and maybe even best man (?) Who knows. And they all wanted pictures with me too… what a crazy day that was. . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Wedding Party – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Planting a TomTom coffee tree – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra TomTom – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur view point of Lake Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur view point of Lake Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur view point of Lake Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sipansur view point of Lake Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra 
– Beringin Tree, Family burial site – Beringin is the local name for Ficus tree, which is preferred as a Batak monument for a family burial plot. It is a beautiful alternative to the elaborate cement or wood tombs (tambak) found in the area. . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Sumatra Rainbow – Over Lake Toba, North Sumatra . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra Simalungun: Big farms on north side of Lake Toba – . Lake Toba area, North Sumatra – 
– Volkopi, Medan – Volkopi, Medan – Volkopi, Medan – 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image Opung BR film_126 -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
film_127 Opung Michael -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image 
-, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image -, Hasselblad 6×6 Film Image
