Coffee's 'third wave' gathers pace in Jakarta

Shifting tastes among young Indonesians help brew specialty cafe culture

20240308 CG Menteng Nov '23

Located in a converted former residence in the Jakarta neighborhood of Menteng, Common Grounds is a quiet, homey oasis for coffee lovers. (Courtesy of Common Grounds) 

NANA SHIBATA, Nikkei staff writer

JAKARTA -- On a recent visit to a Jakarta cafe, I ordered ice-brewed coffee, known as kopi in Indonesia's national language. Fighting the urge to swallow quickly, I let the black liquid lie in my mouth for a while. Gradually, it released hints of citrus, jasmin and rose -- coffee flavors that embody Indonesia's cultural, linguistic, ethnic and geographical complexity.

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic nation -- home to more than 18,000 islands and about 1,300 ethnic groups. From Sumatra in the west to Papua in the east, just about every corner of the country has a coffee specialty.

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