Cultivars: Ateng Super, Sigararutang
Producers: 40+ coffee farmers in the Pangalengan district
Processor: Asep Rukman
Importer: This Side Up
Processing: Honey
Orange blossom - jammy - sweetened rize tea
Asep Rukman worked in the dairy processing and factories for over 30 years. He had roughly 0.8 hectares of coffee in early 2000 and didn’t particularly pay attention to it since Pangalengan was a dairy heavy origin. Once he decided to retire, he knew how he was going to spend the rest of his life - with coffee, not just drinking it but growing coffee.
Asep’s effort to introduce specialty coffee in this region is catching up fast. Asep in that way is a pioneer when it comes to specialty production and processing techniques.Now more than 40 farmers work with Asep in selling him cherries so he can process them into different grades including premium and speciality. They get a higher price for their coffees and can use it to improve their livelihoods including sending their children to school among other things. His effort to create access of different kinds to the community is quite evident. From distributing seedlings of native coffee varieties that are resilient, to conducting training on composting, land preparation, plant plotting, as well planting shade trees, Asep has been the frontrunner in taking these initiatives to the community after testing it out in his own land.