FEATURE
Forgive the mention of the café from Friends but it sort of puts it in a nutshell: Indonesia’s coffee industry needs organising from a central point – and that is, naturally, Jakarta – where it all began. The Dutch brought coffee to the East Indies in 1696. The Javanese capital of Batavia then soon became the major supplier of coffee to Europe – hence the generic name for coffee for 300 years: Java. “Until about 1900, Java virtually controlled the coffee trade. If you go down to old Kota, you will still see a street called Jalan Kopi and the coffee was shipped down from the hills and through the canals of Batavia, transferred to Tanjung Priok and straight to Holland.” “Everything was going swimmingly until just after the turn of the 20th century when a low level fungus basically wiped out the crop. This prompted them to look for a plant that was stronger which they fittingly named Robusta because it resisted disease. And that became the coffee that everyone brewed,” says Tarquinio.
TODAY “Today Indonesian coffee is renowned for its full body and low acidity - and the flavour is good too. This comes from soil type, altitude, processing, roasting and aging. Only Indonesia’s larger islands have the altitude for Arabica: Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Flores and Papua,” he says. “Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest producer of coffee with exports of 300,000 tons. Of this, some 75,000 tons is Arabica, the best coffee there is. And 90% of this Arabica is grown by small farmers on land of a hectare or even less. Nobody here
appreciates how good their coffee is. Papua produces the best you can get but it is very difficult to source. You virtually have to walk the Kokoda Trail to get it.” “Indonesia is absolutely a viable coffee producing nation. Things are naturally concentrated on Robusta but Arabica is getting a lot more attention these days,” says Quintino. “We now roast it here in Jakarta because it was not being done properly. And we have no compunction in labelling it ‘the world’s finest Arabica.”
“We sell in packs of 50. It is real coffee, no additives (no chocolate, no caramel, no flavourings: they are for some of the big chains to disguise bad coffee. It is not an espresso but it is a lovely cup of light aromatic coffee and perfect for the morning,” he says. “And perfect for the hotel room where even five-star places are still offering that filthy instant rubbish!”
“Quintino’s specialises in sourcing the very finest quality Arabica beans from all over the country. And now we roast it in a unique lighter style to highlight the natural flavours. And we strictly forbid any roasting or flavour enhancers,” says Tarquinio. “Our signature blend, Sumatran Mellow, is a soft, full-bodied and easy drinking coffee that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.”
“I should mention our packaging. This has been a lot of very hard work but we have now developed a packet that is safe, airtight and attractive. And you should note the little flap at the top; that is the carbon dioxide valve that lets the CO² out but no air in. If we did not have this, the packages would explode when the gas expands.”
THE Q BAGS “These are not your basic teabag or sachet. They are meant to be a replacement for instant coffee, specially designed to sit on the side of the cup and you simply pour hot water over it and it naturally drips through. You can then throw it away as solid rubbish. Because, as you know, coffee grinds are the arch enemy of drains. Nothing clogs them quicker,” says Tarquinio.
KOPI LIMA “Pardon the Indonesian pun but this is our version of the ubiquitous kaki lima, the difference being you can get a great cup of coffee and a snack – a sandwich or a pastry, whatever.” “It has lights, it is refrigerated; it is the portable espresso bar you find in Rome. You walk in , stand up or sit on a stool. We are gradually moving into office buildings and other public spaces around Jakarta.” “Now we are fully set up, we are about to launch the Quintino’s brand in two big supermarket chains. Our other focus is export and we have people marketing now in all the big coffee countries: Italy, Spain, France, Australia (well, Melbourne anyway) and we are trying to educate them in the United States as well.”
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