Pearls of the Peatland, Bringers of Prosperity

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

Liberica coffee beans are dried in Sungai Beras village, Mendahara Ulu district, East Tanjung Jabung, Jambi, Saturday (14/7/2018). Along with the rise of the coffee business, cultivation and processing of Liberika coffee has increasingly been in demand. This type of coffee thrives in lowlands and coastal areas and adapts better to peatland than Arabica and Robusta coffee plants.

Neglected for almost a century, the Liberica coffee (Coffea liberica) that flourishes in the peat swamps of Jambi’s coastline is now treasured. Locals are striving to process these black pearls.

The results have been nothing short of amazing. Nur Asiah, 41, has enjoyed success in her latest creation: banana chips covered in Liberica coffee powder. She has finally perfected the recipe after trial and error.

At first, Ainur, as she is often called, covered her banana chips with Robusta coffee and powdered sugar. As it turned out, the snack tasted bitter and did not look nice. Several subsequent experiments also turned out to be failures. The strong Robusta coffee overwhelmed the banana chips’ savory taste.

When the Liberica coffee plantations blossomed in Pematang Rahim village, Mendahara Ulu district, East Tanjung Jabung regency, Jambi, Ainur had an epiphany. “Why don’t I just use Liberica coffee powder?” she said on Saturday (16/7/2018), recalling her moment of clarity. She then ordered the powdered coffee, which was processed by her brother Nurul Amin. Nurul, a coffee businessman, suggested that she roast the coffee for a short while to prevent it from tasting too strong.

Ainur then tried covering her banana chips in Liberica coffee powder and powdered sugar. It was just delicious. The smooth taste of the coffee combined perfectly with the chips’ natural sweetness. When chewed, the sweet aroma and taste of jackfruit – a unique characteristic of Liberica coffee – emerged. There was also a savory chocolaty tang from the combined taste of the chips and the coffee powder.

“The taste is just perfect. It’s not bitter but it still tastes like coffee. The color is also nice,” said local farmer Misnawati, 27.

Newest product

The Liberica banana chips is the village’s newest product. In addition to the chips, Ainur and other local women in the Kamibikin (We Make) Community also make other products from peatland resources, including dishes from red fern (pakis merah) and kapar fish (Belontia hasselti). Nevertheless, the Liberica coffee is the most popular product.

The Collective Business Community in Sungai Beras village, Mendahara Ulu, is similarly creative. Its members utilize the wild nipa palms in the local peat swamp as a source of food. For a long time, locals have processed the nipa fruit into dodol (fudge-like sweets). More recently, Liberica coffee is added to the recipe. It makes the dodol’s color darker, which suits the snack perfectly. “If the color is too light, it looks pale,” said Hastuti, 37.

KOMPAS/IRMA TAMBUNAN

A man harvests Liberica coffee in Sungai Beras village, Mendahara Ulu district, East Tanjung Jabung, Jambi, Saturday (14/7/2018).

In a competition at the 2017 Family Welfare Movement (PKK) jamboree in East Tanjung Jabung, the nipa dodol won first prize. Previously, at the 2016 Peatland Restoration Agency jamboree, the community showcased various culinary peatland products and attracted many visitors.

Culinary creations, including coffee drinks, chips and Liberica dodol, were displayed at Kompas’ Nusantara Coffee Festival at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta cultural space from July 19 to 22.

Honey and jackfruit

As an ingredient for beverages, Liberica coffee has its own uniqueness. Despite growing in black-watered peat swamps, Liberica is known for its special taste. Through light roasting, the coffee exudes the aroma and sweet taste of honey and jackfruit, as well as being a little bit savory and sour.

Liberica coffee was brought to Indonesia by the Dutch colonial government in 1875 to replace the Arabica coffee plants that were hit by the coffee leaf rust (CLR) disease. Only small Arabica plantations are left, scattered in the highlands of Sumatra and Java.

At first, Liberica cultivation was successful. However, CLR disease later hit Liberica plantations. Consequently, the plants were destroyed and replaced with Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora).

Liberica plants in Tanjung Jabung are believed by some to be a colonial legacy. However, another story says that the plants were brought in by a late local figure, Haji Sayuti, upon returning from a neighboring country around 70 years ago.

Liberica blossoms in lowland tropical forests and coastlines. “It is much more adaptable in marginal lands, such as peatland, than Arabica or Robusta,” researcher Misnawi of the Coffee and Cocoa Research Center (Puslitkoka) wrote in his 2016 book Liberica Coffee and its Potential Development in Peatland.

There are currently 5,000 hectares of Liberica coffee plantations in East Tanjung Jabung and West Tanjung Jabung. The coffee plants are planted among areca nut and coconut trees. Liberica cultivation has not only improved people’s welfare, it has also preserved local peatland.