From 1976 to 2005, Aceh was caught in violent conflict with the Indonesian government. Many families fled their farms and moved to cities like Medan. Even after peace was declared in 2005, poverty remained widespread.

In 2006, 50 farmers from five villages founded the Permata Gayo Cooperative. Their goal was simple but urgent: rebuild the region’s coffee industry and bring economic stability back to Aceh.

Region

The region experiences a tropical climate with high rainfall and humidity, but little temperature variation. This consistent climate is beneficial for coffee growth. Coffee in Aceh is grown at altitudes ranging from 1,200m to 1,500m, which is ideal for coffee production. The volcanic soil of the region is rich in nutrients, contributing to the rich flavour of the coffee beans

Process Info

• Unique to Sumatra: This process is not widely used in other coffee-producing regions.
• Drying Stages: The beans are dried at specific humidity levels (e.g., 30%, 20%, and finally 11%) as they are transported further down the mountain.
• Blue-Green Hue: The process gives the raw coffee beans a distinct blue/green color.
• Flavor Profile: The resulting coffee often exhibits an earthy, rounded flavor with a strong body.
• Moisture Content: The Giling-Basah process is characterized by hulling the beans while they are still relatively wet (e.g., around 40% moisture).
• Fermentation: The process involves some fermentation during the drying stages, which contributes to the unique flavor profile.

Espresso:
Ratio 1:2. 18g of dry coffee, 36g of espresso. Brew time 28 - 32 seconds. Adjust grind size as appropriate to achieve correct extraction.

Drip/Pour Over:
Ratio 1:16. Good starter pouring recipe is a 30g bloom to wet grounds, pour up to 150g, then when it is half drained pour again to 220g, with a final small pour of 20g. Water temperature 88-96 degrees

French Press:
60g of course ground coffee to 1 litre of water, brew 4 to 5 minutes.

Cold Brew:
1:8 to 1:10 (e.g., 100g coffee to 800g water).

Aeropress:
1:6 to 1:12, depending on desired strength.