Jangan Terlalu Manis

Coffee is part of the culture in Aceh. It’s what people do. Before I came to Aceh I often heard stories about the coffee here. What I had imagined was this place known as the “veranda of Mecca” for their strong ties with Islam and as an instrumental location in spreading the religion into Southeast Asia. Someone also told me they drain their coffee through something that looks like a big stretched out sock. I had this image that guys with buckets and long spouts pouring stuff back and forth through this sock. I also had this Turkish-style image of curled shoes and sultan hats on. My vision was not far from the truth.

When I arrived in Aceh, my first day I had six cups of coffee. People say Acehnese are not very friendly but it’s all a matter of approach really. Like my earlier description, small doors but spacious interior. The important thing is to want to learn about Aceh and their rather stubborn image of themselves--a fact they recognize. I said one word in Acehnese, and we were off to the coffeeshops. And in the last two months I think I’ve developed a caffeine addiction.

What people do here is go out and meet for coffee and smoke a lot of cigarettes… Sitting around with a bunch of guys at the coffee shop, 90% will be puffing away. Of course women are not allowed.

Sometimes they drink it upside down. They cook the grounds and mix it with rice, corn and other herbs—some places are very well known for the “coffee that will make you fly…” as this province is famous for its ganja trade. I have not tried it and hope I don’t accidentally drink it--which has happened to some people.

They also drink their coffee upside down sometimes. They cook the grounds in a pot, making it a rich thick coffee and pour it in a cup. Then they place a saucer on top of the cup and flip it upside-down. They give you a straw and you sip it through blowing through the straw, wait for some to come out, and then sip it up. Bizarre.

They also pour tons of sugar into each cup. Sometimes a third of the cup will be filled with sugar before the coffee goes in. This is no exaggeration. Jangan Terlalu Manis (“Not too sweet”) is not understood. If you specifically ask for just a little bit of sugar, the people preparing the coffee can’t really imagine good coffee without providing you with so much sugar. They don’t want to feel like they are ripping you off, so they go ahead and dump in the excessive regular amounts.