Maoke Coffee House, a Hangout Place in Timika that Serves a Variety of Papuan Coffee

by Femi Diah from Detik Travel

Maoke Coffee House offers a variety of Papuan coffees. (private documentation Rini)

Timika - Rini S. Danudjaja's Maoke Coffee House has been serving customers for 15 months. The coffee shop pampers visitors with a variety of Papuan coffee, yes only Papuan coffee.

Rini, 46, moved to Timika in 2013. She runs the USAID project belonging to the United States (US). Rini, who teaches at the University of Indonesia and Budi Luhur, wants to find answers to her curiosity about Papua.

"After applying at USAID, I was placed in Timika. While in Timika, because I communicated with the priests in Timika, I heard firsthand about Papuan coffees," Rini recounted her introduction to Papua and Papuan coffee.

Apparently, while in Papua, Rini realized that Papuan coffee was not only Amungme coffee and Wamena coffee, but many varieties. The location of the garden is far away, on the slopes of the mountains in remote Papua.

"In the beginning of the year people only knew Papuan coffee, namely Wamena coffee and Amungme coffee. Since then, my heart has been moved personally, to introduce Papuan coffee, which has many varieties, to outsiders," said Rini.

Rini S. Danudjaja's Coffee House in Timika (Photo: doc. personal)

Rini also intensely communicated with priests, priests, and farmers directly in remote mountains to get coffee. Because, access to get coffee directly from the garden is not an easy matter. Access to the coffee plantation can only be by plane. Starting 2017, Rini started distributing Papuan coffees.

Rini waited for priests, priests, and farmers to come to Timika and bring coffee. Then, he sells roasted coffee beans in packs of 200 kg or more. For roasting, Rini entrusted it to another party.

"At that time, selling coffee was only a sideline. Moreover, the supply of coffee was not stable, there was no guarantee of coffee being available," said Rini.

It was only after her project with USAID ended that Rini became more serious about developing her coffee business. Along with that, Rini increased her knowledge about coffee. He learned roasting and ordered a roasting machine from Johny Rahardi or uncle John, a Q Grader caliber coffee taster who also produces hundreds of roasters that have been flown not only to various regions in Indonesia, but also to many countries to the United States.

Rini S. Danudjaja, owner of the Timika Maoke Coffee House (private doc)

"When the project was completed in 2020, it coincided with the initial period of lockdown, I began to believe that the coffee supply had started to stabilize, from the links of priests and pastors in the interior, because I couldn't go there, for security reasons, they brought the green beans. Or I bought them from collectors," he explains.

Apparently, Rini's customers are not satisfied with only being able to brew coffee at home. They urged Rini to build a coffee shop. Not just to hang out, but become a place to learn how to mix coffee.

Rini agreed. He built a coffee shop and renamed it Rumah Kopi in August 2000. It was there that he ran the entire coffee process until it was ready to be brewed. Customers can also watch the whole process.

"I named it The Maoke Coffee House or Maoke Coffee House so that when people come here they feel like coffee at home. The atmosphere is made cozy, homely, and anyone can learn coffee. There is coffee drying in the back, a roasting place, the cafe bar can also immediately seen. And, it turns out the response was good, "said Rini.

Ari Sihasale and Nia Zulkarnaen stop at Rini S. Danudjaja's Maoke Coffee House in Timika. (Photo: private doc.)

After opening the Coffee House, Rini maintained the uniqueness of her coffee business; only provides Papuan coffee. Rumah Kopi has a collection of Papuan Arabica coffees, including Bintang Mountains (Abmisibil, Sabin, Kiwirok, Peneli), Paniai (Obano, Yagiyo, Muyetadi), Dogiyai (Moenamani, Modio), Puncak (Sinak), and Lanny Jaya (Tiom), and Tembagapura (Aronaop, Tsinga).

Referring to the current number of coffee orders, Rini is optimistic that Papuan coffee will be increasingly known outside Papua. He is sure that it is not only Wamena and Amungme coffees that will be sought later.