GEORGE TOWN – Where does the best coffee in the world originate from? According to Indonesia coffee roaster based in Penang, it comes from Indonesia – and no, not the ones that have gone through a civet cat’s digestive system, otherwise known as Kopi Luwak.
Gunawan Wibisana, also known by his nickname Tigun, is the owner Si Tigun, the first micro-roastery set up in Southeast Asia that started in 2008 in Penang. Before the start of his business stint, he was a light director on Broadway in New York City.
Every year, he would have a month or two off. That is when he would travel to countries like Costa Rica, and other places in Latin America and Africa to learn coffee roastery. He would live amongst the farmers and learn the trade.
When he went back to his job in the Big Apple, his colleagues, friends and artists would be his guinea pigs, testing out the coffee from the coffee bean roasts. He admitted that during the first few tries, they thought the coffee he roasted was bad, but he kept working on it.
He also said that the reason why he retired early and came to Malaysia with his Malaysian wife is due to his disappointment with how coffee was exploited in terms of price. “Indonesian coffee is exported to the United States and Europe but we get coffee ranked number four or five but sold at the same price.
“Indonesian coffee is one of the best in the world because of where it is planted – right at the equator and along volcanic ranges rich in phosphorus.
“Then you also have farmers that tend to the plant and harvest the fruits. They have the insight on how to pick it at the right time because they have been doing it from generation to generation.”
He said the Dutch brought coffee seeds from Ethiopia first to Sri Lanka, however, due to the weather, coffee plantations did not work out there. These seeds are then brought to Indonesia, and that was when the coffee trade blossomed.
“It is the reason why in America, they call coffee a ‘cup of Java’ or ‘a cup of Joe’ because the coffee they were drinking comes from Java.”
However, he had a tough start when most Malaysians won’t even patronise his store because they didn’t think Indonesia produced coffee. He was snubbed and told that his coffee cannot compare with coffee shops in Italy.
He was also looked down on because, as an Indonesian, he “belonged” to the construction sector, not a businessman. After 13 years, his quaint coffee shop is still going strong, serving coffee originating from East Java and a small village in North Sumatera named Mandaling.
Contrary to popular demand, Gunawan does not serve Luwak coffee due to ethical reasons. As Indonesia produces less than one tonne of Luwak coffee per year, he believes that most of the coffee marketed as Luwak is actually fake.
He also does not condone how civet cats are treated to produce the coffee. Though these animals are carnivorous, greedy businessmen place them in cages and feed them coffee berries. Because they are not let out in the wild and have their daily food intake reduced, these animals usually die after just four months.
“I do not consider myself a coffee connoisseur, just a roaster. It started as a hobby. However, I also believe that coffee is not rocket science. It is actually simple. It is in the heart and the mouth.
“A lot of people think coffee is for sophisticated people, but it is for everyone to enjoy,” he said.
Looking forward, he hopes to get a plot of land to set up a roadside stall so people from all walks of life can enjoy affordable coffee. He is still not content that his coffee house is attracting only well-to-do guests because of how and where his shop is set up.
He would like to see people from all economic backgrounds enjoy the coffee he enjoys roasting. – The Vibes, January 3, 2021
