Page 50 - Thirst Magazine Issue No. 3 Coffee & Tea

own south in Johor, there is a little heat, clay-like soil conditions, and the lower
known coffee farm growing the elevation, Jason could only choose to grow
rare Liberica coffee bean, a varietal either Robusta or Liberica beans. These two
that accounts for only 1% of coffee beans are similar in terms of their character,
Dproduction worldwide. My Liberica are adaptable to hot climates, more resistant to
Coffee is exactly that, and has been planting pests and disease, and can grow at low altitude
Liberica beans since 2009. (flat land). Interestingly, unlike Arabica which
Founder Jason Liew was an agriculture can self-pollinate with its own flowers within
student in Taiwan when he found his love the same plant, Liberica and Robusta depend on
for coffee. After working 2 years following cross pollination through wind, insects or birds
graduation, he returned home to build to help transfer pollen from another plant. This
a business based on his passion for coffee. also means that there is no control over what
An espresso machine was in Jason’s mind pollen the trees will receive, whether from
when he wanted to geek out with his brewing, another coffee flower or a banana tree… you
so he opened a café to justify buying one. While name it, any plant that grows in our tropical
researching about beans, Jason found that the farms. This also means that these varieties can
cost of buying imported beans was high. have infinite combination of variations that
There are three main types of coffee beans affects the beans’ flavour.
- Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica, comprising
approximately 60%, 40% THE TRADING OF BEANS
and 1% of world production FROM FARMERS TO MILLS
respectively. Plantations are
primarily located within Trading of coffees in Malaysia
the Bean Belt, the “ring” from plantations to processing
around the world between mills is via selling the cherries
the Tropics of Cancer and and not the beans. The
Capricorn which provide processing mill will buy the
the required combination cherries from the farmers,
of soil, altitude and remove the shells and flesh
climate for coffee growing. of the fruit (think rambutan,
Arabica beans are the most thick flesh wrapped around
recognised worldwide, supply the seed after the shell is
is plenty, but pricing for peeled off), then the seeds
this commodity can vary (beans) are left out to ferment
drastically depending on the and dried, either under the
market’s demand and supply. sun or by mechanical dryer.
By the time the green The dried seeds are then
beans reach the end buyer, packed in sacks and rested
prices would have increased for 30 to 120 days in a cool
because of numerous middle and dry place to allow the
persons. Jason decided that by growing the even spread of moisture throughout the bean’s
beans himself at his father’s farm, he would be cellular structure. After this, the beans are
able to lower the cost when supplying to his brought for roasting.
own cafes. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but he When Jason started to grow Liberica trees
made a miscalculation - Liberica beans are not on his father’s vegetable and fruit farm, he sold
cheap to produce. the cherries from his trees to the processing
Coffee beans come from coffee cherries, mills and bought back the green beans from
the fruits of the coffee trees which are bright these mills after processing. He will then pick
red when ripe. Arabica and Robusta cherries out the good beans and discard the bad ones
are smaller, more uniformly sized, and have before roasting. There was no control over
only one bean per cherry. Liberica cherries the processing and handling by the mills as
on the other hand, are the largest amongst these were focused on supplying bulk coffees,
the coffee varieties, have lower yields, harder mainly for coffee powders. This model changed
skins, can vary in size, and have one to three in 2014 when Jason took on the entire beans
beans. These inconsistencies do not determine processing with his father at the farm, leaving
the quality of the beans, but are challenges, the café business to Loon and Bryan and
when it comes to harvesting and processing roasting to Adam, his three brothers. As no
which are labour intensive. one before Jason has processed Liberica beans
Whilst Malaysia is within the “bean belt” like Arabica beans, the depulper bought from
for coffee growing, the soil is unsuitable for an Arabica beans processing factory had to be
growing Arabica which requires well drained modified to fit the bigger and unevenly sized
soil and higher altitude. With the humidity, Liberica beans.

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