One of the coffees served at Omakafé is a rare and exotic coffee from Daterra Coffee Farm in the state of Minas Gerais. Daterra's farms are in Patrocínio, a city known for hosting some of the oldest coffee plantations in the Brazilian Cerrado region.
This area is famous for its coffee production, with plantations typically situated at altitudes exceeding 3,000 feet, and certain terroirs reaching up to approximately 4,000 feet.
Daterra Coffee Farm is dedicated to sustainable coffee cultivation, highlighting the interconnectedness of soil, water, wildlife, knowledge, and people. Their goal is to transform coffee farming through quality and sustainable practices.
Moreover, Daterra Coffee Farm has three concepts for its coffee production.
The first, is called Masterpiece. Every year, Daterra's expert Cuppers explore the vast potential of Daterra for unique small lots of coffee, known as Masterpieces. These small experimental lots are like a coffee lover's playground, where they test new ways of producing coffee. The lab is filled with new and unusual varietals, processing methods, drying techniques, and limitless experiments. Each coffee has a unique taste profile, scoring 88 or higher, is fully traceable, and carries a rich history that can never be replicated.
The second, Collection, showcases their finest coffees, scoring between 86 and 89, fully traceable, and often featured as single origins. These coffees undergo the Daterra Penta Process®, ensuring exceptional quality and flavour.
And the third, is called Classics.
Daterra’s Classics embody the essence of Cerrado coffee, adhering to Daterra’s stringent quality standards. With scores ranging from 80 to 86, these coffees are ideal as single origins or exceptional blending components. They provide excellent value for coffee enthusiasts looking for consistent quality.
Daterra Coffee Farm also prioritises sustainability. They practice pro-environmental practices by implementing effective water management, achieving carbon neutrality, conserving soil, and reducing waste. In terms of social aspects, they ensure fair wages for their workers and provide proper training and protective gear to ensure their well-being.
At Omakafé, we offer a unique coffee of Daterra's called Aramosa. But what is Aramosa? But before we can explore Aramosa, let's discuss about Racemosa, the coffee that makes up the Aramosa species.
Coffea racemosa is one of the rarest coffee species globally, native to the KwaZulu-Natal region in South Africa. Known for its distinctive taste and naturally low caffeine content, this coffee is protected due to its rarity and resilience to drought. It has less caffeine compared to the famous Arabica and Robusta.
At Daterra Coffee Farm, they cultivate this Aramosa Coffee. Aramosa is a cross between Coffea Arabica and Coffea Racemosa, designed to inherit Racemosa’s low caffeine and drought resistance while preserving Arabica’s flavour. Due to the lower caffeine production, Aramosa beans have a consistently sweet, floral taste with less bitterness; some Aramosa has no bitterness at all.
CATUR Coffee Company, operating in the world of coffee exports and imports in Indonesia, brought this coffee, processed it in Brazil, and directly imported it to Indonesia. One uniqueness of this coffee lies in its anaerobic processing using Pichia kudriavzevii as a starter for fermentation.
According to Berlian Biotech, Pichia is a yeast genus in the Saccharomycetaceae family, contributing significantly to the microbial community involved in fermenting coffee cherries. Like other yeasts, Pichia metabolises sugars in coffee pulp, leading to the formation of compounds that influence the distinctive flavour of the coffee.
Pichia, alongside various yeasts, converts sugars present in the mucilage or pulp of coffee cherries into alcohol and other by-products through the fermentation process. Pichia contributes to the formation of aromatic compounds, such as esters, aldehydes, and other volatile organic compounds, enhancing the delightful aroma and flavour of the coffee. Through the generation of organic acids, Pichia plays a role in acidifying the coffee pulp, impacting the perceived acidity in the ultimate cup. Yeasts, including Pichia, infuse fruity and floral notes into coffee through sugar metabolism, enhancing the overall delight of specialty coffees.
Moreover, Pichia yeast strains weave a complex narrative of flavours within coffee, introducing a distinctive richness. Nevertheless, the flavour compounds they generate differ from those of Saccharomyces, with a subtler impact due to Pichia's unhurried metabolic pace and fewer by-products. Among the potential esters from Pichia is isoamyl acetate, known as the banana ester, offering a unique banana-like aroma. Although typically associated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia may produce it, presenting varying levels or nuanced flavours. Additionally, ethyl hexanoate and ethyl butyrate, two esters, contribute fruity flavours, while phenylethyl acetate adds floral and honey-like aromas to the final brew, enhancing the sensory journey of specialty coffees.
Now, let's talk about the processing method that was applied to this Aramosa. First, only the ripest cherries go into the fermentation tank. Then Pichia is applied to the coffee cherries before the tank is sealed, and the coffee cherries are fermented for 48 hours inside the tank. After 48 hours and the pH was 4 until 4.2, the coffee cherries are dried on a patio. While getting dried, anti-mould is applied to the coffee cherries to prevent the growth of mould that can damage the coffee.
Anti-mould is also applied to add a bit more complexity to the coffee. Then the coffee is dried on a mechanical drying until the desired moisture level is reached. After the desired moisture is reached, the coffee cherries are hulled before they are sorted out by size and colours. Then the beans are ready to be shipped to the coffee roasters and cafes from around the world, including us at Omakafé through CATUR Coffee Company.
We want to broaden the accessibility to this coffee more than before. So, this coffee is available for you to enjoy at Omakafé through our omakase set, or you can buy the roasted beans directly, for you to brew at home. We provide this coffee to offer a different experience and give you a chance to taste the beautiful Aramosa, enriching your coffee library with new flavours.
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Written by: Islami Nahdiyin, Beverage Expert
Edited by: Lonika Tay, Community Manager
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