The Myanmar HOPONG specialty coffee from the Belgian roaster Naga Coffee brings a unique experience to your cup—delicate notes of ripe blueberries combine with the subtle sweetness of honey and a fresh citrus touch of yuzu. It is a coffee that awakens the senses, is playful yet elegant, and reminds you of freshly baked blueberry pie with every sip.
Myanmar is a young country growing specialty coffee, but it has impressive results. In just one year, the Hopong cooperative managed to unite coffee growers from two villages and collectively process their first batch of naturally processed sun-dried coffee. Farmers, persecuted by the authorities on one side and selling poorly processed coffee to middlemen and intermediaries on the other, began to look for a new way of life. Through social media, they learned that other farms were receiving help from a non-governmental organization on how to produce high-quality natural products. They made an important decision and threw themselves into growing specialty coffee, becoming truly independent.
The cherries are hand-picked by members of the Hopong community in the early morning hours. Once the harvest is complete, the members deliver the cherries to the drying rooms in Hopong. Upon delivery, the cherries are sorted by hand to ensure that only ripe ones remain. Fully ripe cherries are then spread out on raised beds. Slow drying is a priority, and the drying time ranges from 13 to 17 days, depending on weather conditions. All batches are divided according to the days and deliveries from all members.
- Farmer: Bant Sawk
- Altitude: 1,100-1,600 m above sea level
- Harvest: 2021 - 2022