Papua New Guinea Coffee: Great Coffees Available and Affordable

Papua New Guinea Coffee is one of the coffees of Asia that has grown increasingly popular both for then unique characteristics and suitability for blending of PNG Coffee Beans with other coffees.

Where is Papua New Guinea?

Papua New Guinea is located to the east of Indonesia. The island of New Guinea itself contains several Indonesian provinces(West Papua and Papua) and the nation of Papua New Guinea.

All of these regions of the New Guinea isles grow their own varieties of coffee beans, though West Papua is still lesser known than either Papua or PNG for their coffees and the resulting coffee is quite different from that produced in Indonesia.

This article will deal primarily with Papua New Guinea which is not as earthy and has a wild note to it that most people find intriguing when grown in the small farm coffee gardens that are common there.

History of Papua New Guinea Coffee

While Papua New Guinea (shortened to 'PNG') produces only 1% of the world’s coffee it employs half its inhabitants in that industry, about 2.5 million people.  Coffee is its second largest export after oil palms that produce palm oil.  Over 200,000 acres are dedicated to coffee growing.

Coffee came to PNG in 1890 when the first Jamaican Blue Mountain seeds were planted but commercial production did not begin until the 1920’s.  95% of the coffee is highland Arabica and 5% is lowland Robusta used to make cheaper instant coffee. 

The Arabica, however, is such good quality that it is used in Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany to make espresso, latte and cappuccino.  Starbucks is a major buyer of PNG coffee, too.

PNG Coffee Growing Conditions

PNG has mountainous highlands that are good for growing coffee, often more than 5,000 feet above sea level.  As well as the Jamaica Blue Mountain variety of coffee, PNG also has the bourbon variety Arusha; there is also the higher yielding Mundo Novo and Caturra. 

PNG coffee growers are plagued with problems caused by very poor infrastructure and hi-jacking.  In fact, the larger producers often lose up to 50% of their crop to theft.  One 'problem' that benefits drinkers of PNG coffee is the lack of availability of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers; this makes the coffee naturally low in acidity and caffeine and also insures that it is organic.

Plantation coffees from the larger farms are cleaner and more delicate.  The large plantations have their own mills and control the variables better than the small farm coffee gardens. 

However, some truly wonderful coffees come from those small farms, or coffee gardens as they are called.  Coffee gardens range from 10-20 trees to several hundred.  There are 461 plantations registered in PNG and all but about a dozen are owned by local businesses or individuals.

Wet Processed: Noticeable Flavors

All Papua New Guinea Coffee is wet processed so it is brighter than other Indonesian coffees.  Most Indonesian coffees are wet hulled, which give them heavy body and earthiness but PNG coffee has a range of flavors. 

PNG coffee is full bodied with fruitiness reminiscent of mango and papaya.  It has a slightly dry finish and chocolate overtones.  It is lighter bodied than Java coffee and depending on the soil it’s grown in, it has the brightness of the best Central American coffees. 

Papua New Guinea Peaberry Coffee

PNG Coffee also produces peaberry coffee, which is single rather than double bean cherries.  Peaberry coffee is considered rare and thus is more costly but connoisseurs swear that it’s worth every penny.

And finally...

Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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