Doğu Timor

East Timor Hunda Washed

The Hunda farming community was established in 2009 and 18 farmers contributed to this lot. They work as a team to pick, collect, and process their cherry. The name ‘Hunda’ is derived from two words, ‘Funa’ and ‘Dalan’ which is shorted to ‘Hunda’. According to the community’s elders the word is related to describing the former presence of the Japanese military in the area.

East Timor is recognized more for the varietal ‘hybrid de timor’ than the coffee it has been producing now for 200 years since introduction in 1817 by the Portuguese. The Hybrid De Timor variety is a natural hybrid between the typica & robusta in spotted first in 1927. In the cup they demonstrate a sweetness, delicacy and florals associated with the typica variety (known as Arabi locally) which are then complimented by the spicy pepper, tamarind, and full-bodied characteristics that you would be more familiar from the Hybrid De Timor varietal. The region that is leading the way in specialty production is the Letefoho area of the country situated in the mountainous northwest. This harvest we have been able to source and bring into Europe five different producer groups/villages spread across 6 lots where the number of farmers in each group ranges from 11 to 23 small holder farmers. Each village still works in what is a very primitive manner, often using wooden pulping machines and basic drying beds and sometimes tarpaulin on the ground to dry the coffees. Even with such basic infrastructure the quality of coffee produced in the cup defies what we would expect from such basic methods. The Café Brisa Serena Group have worked hard with the farmer groups to focus on quality parameters such as picking, separation and even drying to help elevate the quality of the coffees. We feel that this is just the start of things to come from a country that has the potential to give so much more and begin to prosper with the reward of the specialty coffees they produce.

The 2021 harvest was a success following the disruption caused by the pandemic in 2020. Farmers are being very proactive with the pre- and post-harvest maintenance of their trees, ensuring they are well pruned and healthy for future growth.