Sesongot Gayo

Aulia Kahfi has expanded his business by purchasing cherry from neighboring farmers. His lots are consistently delicious. This Anaerobic Natural lot is bursting with stone fruit, honey and black tea.

In 2019, Aulia Kahfi place 9th in the Sumatra Prestige Cup for his excellent Wet-Hulled lot.

Aulia cultivates coffee on Rakyat Farm, which he inherited from his family. He has been involved in coffee production since his early teens but has always had a unique interest in specialty coffee. Since specialty coffee was not in high demand in his area during his teenage years, Aulia spent several years mining and selling Vesuvianite, a precious stone often found near volcanoes. He has since returned to coffee production.

Now in his early thirties, Aulia is entrepreneurial and enterprising. Using an old van or his friend’s car, he has expanded his business by purchasing a few bags at a time from neighboring farmers. He collects and processes ripe cherry from farmers in the Lukup Sabun, Pantan Sile and Ratawali neighborhoods. He’s also recently started buying cherry from Gegarang (Jagong Jeget).

‘Sesongot’ is the name for a beautiful caterpillar native to Gayo that is commonly found hanging about in the coffee trees. Aulia chose to name his experimentally and special processed coffees after the creature due to its unique and very special appearance!

Cultivation

Almost all farms on Sumatra are small. On average, farms are between 0.5 to 2.5 hectares. Coffee is usually the primary cash crop for farmers, but most also intercrop their trees alongside vegetables, maize and fruit. This intercropped produce will make up a substantial part of the family’s diet for the year.

Harvest & Post-Harvest

Aulia selectively handpicks ripe, red cherry, or purchases cherry from neighboring farmers. He ferments cherry for 24 hours, changing the water every 12 hours. Following fermentation, Aulia lays cherry on patios to dry. Aulia rakes cherry frequently to ensure even drying.