Okapa has best coffee in PNG

Remote Okapa in Eastern Highlands has been rated as having the best coffee in Papua New Guinea.

Okapa’s Kanite Kirapim Association won the top accolade at the inaugural PNG Coffee Growers’ 

Winner Jonah Anagoh of Okapa’s Kanite Kirapim Association.

Cupping Competition awards night in Port Moresby on Friday after a hectic week of tasting 69 coffee samples from all over the country by an expert panel of five international and one local taster.

Tasters Rose Romalus from CIC, Juliana Nobre and KC Reynolds from Australia, and Adi Taroepratzeka and Ulden Banu from Indonesia with winner Jonah Anagoh of Okapa’s Kanite Kirapim Association.

 

 

Juliana Nobre and KC Reynolds from Australia, and Adi Taroepratzeka from Indonesia are showered with gifts from PNG coffee farmers. Nobre and Reynolds are wearing traditional rain capes from the remote Menyamya area of Morobe.

The tasters, who had to taste over 700 cups last week, were Marichi Clarke, Juliana Nobre and KC Reynolds from Australia, Adi Taroepratzeka and Ulden Banu from Indonesia, and Rose Romalus from PNG’s Coffee Industry Corporation.

 Winner Jonah Anagoh of Okapa’s Kanite Kirapim Association with the other four top prize winners and tasters on Friday night.

Hundreds of people including coffee growers, family members, and supporters of the industry packed the Gateway Hotel for the awards night.

Jonah Anagoh, who picked up the award for Okapa, said winning would certainly place this remote part of Eastern Highlands on the world map.

“We have come all the way from Okapa with our extension officers,” he said.

“It is a great honor to win this first-ever type of award for the coffee industry in PNG.

“I’m so happy for us people of Okapa to be recognised like this.

“We Okapa people are ‘bush’ people who work very hard in looking after our coffee.

“We are so proud that our coffee has been recognised as being the best in the country.

“I urge all coffee farmers in Okapa to continue working hard and to maintain the quality that we are renowned for.”

Reynolds, on behalf of the tasters, said they had discovered some “very beautiful coffees” during the week.

“We had a big task all week of tasting all 69 coffees and getting acquainted with the best of PNG coffee” she said.

“In total, we brewed and tasted 730 cups of coffee.

“As cuppers, our main focus is cup quality.”

Reynolds advised quality could be improved by not picking under-ripe cherry, drying properly, and proper fermentation.

However, she said they had discovered some “very great flavors”, which showed the quality of PNG coffee.

Tasters Rose Romalus from CIC, Juliana Nobre and KC Reynolds from Australia, and Adi Taroepratzeka and Ulden Banu from Indonesia.

“We found flavors of blueberry, wine, dark chocolate, cherry, milk, candy, melon, honey, lime, caramel, apple, grape, apricot, hazel nut, guava, hibiscus, mango, jelly, turmeric, and many, many more flavors,” Reynolds.

“This week, we not only had the chance to cup the coffee of PNG, we also had the chance to meet the people behind the coffee.”