Sumatra is famous for its coffee and the best coffee comes from Aceh province. There are two types of coffee that are the pride of this province, Kopi Luak and Ulee Kareng. Kopi Luak is the famous Civet Dung Coffee and Ulee Kareng comes from the Ulee Kareng highlands. Today I had the opportunity to try the Ulee Kareng Coffee at a special Indonesian Style Coffee House in Banda Aceh.
 |
| Solong Coffee House, Banda Aceh |
 |
| Inside The Coffee House |
This Coffee House is located around 3 kilometers away from the city centre. It is in a locality that is famous for garment shopping. I was told that this coffee house opens till the wee hours of the morning and the Aceh people spend their nights here with their friends or even watching EPL games. Coffee drinking is strangely a famous Aceh past time.
 |
| Late night cakes |
 |
| My friend who brought us here |
Besides the coffee, it is common for the waiters to place various plates of local Acehnese cakes for you to try and these cakes were surely good. In fact, it is here that I tasted the best ever Kuih Bengkang which is made from tapioca.
 |
| Ulee Kareng Coffee |
This coffee was excellent. It must be drank black to get the real taste and aroma. Light yet savoury. Being a coffee lover, I surely loved it. This is definitely a must visit place when you are in Banda Aceh and it cost us an equivalent of RM 5 which includes the coffee and cakes for three persons.
Address: Jalan Teuku Iskandar (SP Tujuh Ulee Kareng),
Banda Aceh, 23117 Aceh, Indonesia.
Opening Hours: 0900 - 0300 Daily
What is civet dung coffee? I'm curious to know...
ReplyDeleteThat's a very interesting process DeNiSe....let me share this that I found on the Internet..."Kopi luwak coffee comes from the Indonesian Island of Java and Sumatra, an area well known for its excellent coffee. Also native to the area is a small civet-like animal called a Paradoxurus. That's the scientific name, the locals call them luwaks. These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red, ripe coffee cherry. They eat the cherries , bean and all. While the bean is in the little guy's stomach, it undergoes chemical treatments and fermentations. The bean finishes its journey through the digestive system, and exits. The still-intact beans are collected from the forest floor, and are cleaned, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee.
DeleteOne must wonder about the circumstances that brought about the first cup of Kopi Luwak coffee. Who would think to (or even want to) collect and roast beans out of animal feces? Perhaps a native figured it was easier to collect the beans from the ground this way, rather than having to work harder and pick them from the trees? We'll likely never know. But because of the strange method of collecting, there isn't much Kopi Luwak produced in the world. The resulting coffee is said to be like no other. It has rich, heavy flavor with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it are earthy, musty and exotic. The body is almost syrupy and it's very smooth. " Hope that did help :)
Thanks for finding out this info for me! it's very helpful....at least next time I know what it is and I won't be ordering that! Dung! Just imagine!
DeleteWould you try it?
Hi hi. ...I wouldn't mind trying it once but heard that it's extremely expensive. I have seen places that sell it for USD 50 per cup. Supposed to be the best coffee in the world. :)
Delete