Travel | Kepahiang
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© Zulkifli ; © Muhammad Ikhsan
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Tea was not the only commodity cultivated in Kepahiang . There was also coffee .
5 Senses – Taste DRINKING COFFEE
“ The best-quality tea to be exported must be harvested in the morning before the sun is up ,” explains Katmi , a 40-year-old worker at the plantation . The thousands of workers stack the harvest along the road . After the harvest is weighed , Katmi and the other workers receive Rp700 / kg in payment . The harvest is then picked up by trucks heading to the Kabawetan Tea Factory of PT Sarana Mandiri Mukti .
This tea-processing factory operates in a vast old building that has been designated as a cultural heritage building by the government . Agus Eka , a security guard , takes me on a tour around the factory and introduces me to another worker , Sukardi .
“ This village is where I was born ,” says Sukardi . “ I have lived here my whole life and have never left Kepahiang . I followed in the footsteps of my grandfather and father , who worked at the tea plantation before me ,” he adds . “ This delicious tea has come and gone since the Dutch colonisation , only to emerge again .” Sukardi also tells me that the factory initially produced only black tea . Now , it produces green tea since black tea has lost its popularity overseas .
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1 A tea picker shows off the day ’ s harvest .
2 A worker roasting civet coffee beans in Kepahiang .
I pass by the lorries , the workers unloading the tea , the fire in the oven , and the machines in operation as I walk around the factory . “ Kepahiang not only supplies tea to PT Sarana Mandiri Mukti , but also to PT Trisula Ulung Mega Surya , which processes high-quality oolong tea ,” says Sukardi .
The British and EIC lost their hold of Bengkulu and were replaced by the Dutch . Included as a part of Sumatra ’ s ‘ Westkust ’ by the Dutch colonials , Kepahiang was home to thousands of manual workers in the past . Tea was the main commodity , bringing the region fame as a renowned tea producer .
However , tea was not the only commodity cultivated in Kepahiang . There was also coffee . The Tropen Museum in Amsterdam houses photographs taken in 1920 of the Bengkulu coffee plantations and their abundant harvests . But where has the coffee of the Bengkulu plateau gone ?
To find an answer , the following day I drive to Bandung Jaya village . Sitting at 1,400m above sea level , the village is surrounded
Bandung Jaya village is surrounded by cool fog and the smell of coffee . Using the coffee mills and processors owned by the locals , you can enjoy a cup of coffee that is made of beans picked straight from the hundreds of hectares of coffee plantations . Selections of high-quality Robusta or Arabica as well as civet Arabica are available .
Desa Bandung Jaya selalu diselimuti kabut dingin dan aroma kopi . Di sini , Anda bisa menikmati secangkir kopi dari biji kopi yang diambil langsung dari ratusan hektare perkebunan kopi dan diolah dengan mesin penggiling milik penduduk setempat . Tersedia biji kopi Robusta atau Arabika serta Arabika luwak berkualitas tinggi .