Local Profile

COFFEE CULTURE: A SPICY TALE

Coffee. The most consumed beverage in the world. It’s estimated that over 400 billion cups of coffee are drunk each year. Considering that, in 2019, Earth had only 7.7 billion human inhabitants, the coffee tree must have done very well in terms of evolutionary dominance.

But how did a fruit-bearing tree so successfully intertwine its evolutionary survival with ours? Coffee shares a similar tale with many of our other photosynthetic partners. Our demand for it drives us to plant and protect its offspring at all costs, often to the detriment of its less fortunate cousins. Still, that doesn’t answer the question: how has coffee become so powerful? The answer is that it’s latched onto more than just our short-lived desire for a dark roast espresso – it’s woven itself into our cultural web.

In the west, our morphing coffee culture has given birth to newfangled concoctions that are far distant from our coffee-drinking ancestral roots. A Starbucks sugar-free caramel latte macchiato might cause most traditionalists to wince, but examples like this offer an insight into the melting pot that is western culture.

To explore further, try to simplify the relationship between coffee and human beings, we need to delve into a place where coffee consumption is more like it was in days of old. One such place is Lombok, located in the equatorial archipelago of Indonesia. Here, coffee is a traditional element of daily human life.

INDONESIAN COFFEE

Indonesia is the fourth-largest producer of coffee in the world. You might have heard the term 'java' as a pseudonym for coffee blends. This name originates from the Dutch colonial era, when the Dutch East India Company planted and exported coffee from Java, now the world’s most populous island.

In bringing coffee to Java, the Dutch set in motion a powerful wave that would sweep through ancient cultures and customs throughout the archipelago. Although starting late, in historical terms, in Indonesia coffee is now regarded as Indonesian as nasi goreng. And with its distinctive flavours, preparation methods, and customs, coffee types have become unique to individual islands and their peoples.

THE SASAK PEOPLE OF LOMBOK

The Sasak of Lombok are a testament to indigenous perseverance. Many native populations in Asia and throughout the world have experienced segregation, but the Sasak today still make up a strong 85% majority of Lombok’s inhabitants.

That’s not to say that the local peoples of Lombok haven’t experienced historical hardships. They have borne the burden of several decades of foreign occupation, both by the Dutch and subsequently, the Japanese.

Although history hasn’t 'played nice', traditional Sasak culture, with its vibrant celebrations and traditional clothes and food, has remained steadfast. Perhaps that’s why many locals prefer traditional practices to corporatised western ideals, even when it comes to something as simple as a cup of coffee.

One such example of tradition is the inspiring story of Mamiq and his son Gunter.

TRADITIONAL LOMBOK COFFEE

Mamiq, known also as 'Henry' is an inspiring story of local entrepreneurship. Growing up in Ampenan, the old port capital of Lombok, he was forced to make ends meet at a very young age.

Mamiq’s father was a tobacco salesman, who had crafted a unique spice mixture that he sold to local Chinese businessmen and Dutch soldiers on the busy port streets of the then central capital, Ampenan. One day, with what could be considered a stroke of child inquisitive ingenuity, Mamiq decided to test his father’s special spice mix in a cup of local Lombok coffee.

He recalls that first sip as a significant moment in his life. Immediately, he was determined to offer his invention to his family and friends and, after seeing their surprised nods of approval, Mamiq’s entrepreneurial spark set him out on a mission to share his creation with the world.

Carrying his handcrafted wooden stool and bench, Mamiq set out the following morning to sell cups of his spiced coffee. He waited, but his initial attempts were fruitless. Nevertheless, as we are well aware in the west, the wall of hesitance in the face of the unfamiliar requires a little creative marketing nudge to bring it down.

The following morning, unsatisfied but unwavering, before setting off to try again, Mamiq gathered a piece of scrap wood and scribbled on it: 'Free Coffee'.

It was a hit.

From that day, Mamiq’s 'Kopi Rachick' was born. To this day, his spicy twist on traditional Lombok coffee continues to be a favourite.

THE TRADITIONAL COFFEE-MAKING PROCESS

The Sasak people of Lombok are extremely proud of their strain, which they refer to unanimously as simply 'Lombok Kopi'. These unique beans are grown on the volcanic slopes of Lombok’s Mt. Rinjani and are named 'robusta', a strain particularly resistant to disease and known for its high caffeine content.

Just as Mamiq’s special spice mix has remained unchanged for generations, so has the coffee roasting and preparation. The importance of tradition and culture in the craft is clear. From its inception, the coffee-making method follows the old traditions. Picked fresh from Rinjani, raw beans are mixed with fine sand in a large, metal wok, which is heated over a wood fire in the village barn. The roaster takes meticulous care to stir the beans, to ensure a well-rounded and smoky roasting.

When the beans are steaming and glistening, the roaster separates them from the sand, using a large wooden sieve. Then, after being allowed to cool, the roasted beans are ground to fine powder in a traditional stone mortar and pestle.

Finally, Mamiq adds his secret spices. He has never revealed the entire recipe. A firm believer in herbal medicine and traditional healing methods he hints at a few spices now proved to have tangible health benefits. He claims this is ancient knowledge, in existence long before the findings of modern science. To this day, he swears by his coffee as the reason he has never needed to visit a western doctor.

Kopi Rachick isn’t a global brand or multi-million dollar company. Its success lies in a more humble fact. Mamiq and his son Gunter share their coffee with regular visitors and passers-by at their family-run food stall daily.

People of every race, culture, and religion are drawn to their modest warung not for a quick caffeine fix, but for a warm welcome and to share stories. In Mamiq’s warung, the powerful and the poor are equals. Here, police and politicians share the same plastic stools and sip from the same glass cups as local villagers.

CULTURE IN A CUP

It’s said that life starts after coffee. Wall-street professionals, Israeli soldiers, Nordic fishermen, Mexican farmers, extremist jihadists, climate strikers and Australian farmers all begin their day by sharing a cup of coffee. From a macro perspective, if we zoom out and observe humanity through a global lens, we’d be hard-pressed to identify a more unifying, centripetal human quality, despite overwhelming individual differences.

Perhaps these seemingly novel but deeply-rooted folkways and customs we all experience could be the building blocks for clambering over our differences. Maybe we just need a little local spice to help bridge the gap.

ollygaspar www.weseektravel.com/lombok-coffee