Papua New Guinea isn’t the first country that comes to mind when choosing a specialty coffee. And that’s a real shame! This coffee from the Krok roastery in Jičín is a hidden gem striving to break free from this obscurity. The flavor profile of dried stone fruits, milk chocolate, honey, and delicate floral notes unfolds in the cup with a calm elegance that will convince you that Papua New Guinea belongs on the coffee map just as much as other coffee powerhouses. Behind this lot are small-scale farmers from the Menyamya region, who grow coffee the traditional way in small gardens nestled in the mountains, just as their parents and grandparents did before them.
The Menyamya region lies in Morobe Province in the heart of the Papuan mountains, at altitudes exceeding 1,600 meters. Volcanic soil, mountain mists, and abundant rainfall create conditions in which coffee trees grow slowly and the beans develop natural sweetness and complexity. Coffee here is not a matter of large plantations. Each family cultivates several hundred bushes in their gardens, often in the shade of native vegetation, alongside other crops. This method of cultivation dates back to the 1950s, when Arabica spread from mission stations to the mountainous regions, and since then it has naturally become intertwined with the daily lives of local communities.
Washed processing is among the most demanding in terms of precision, and that is precisely what makes it the ideal choice for coffee that wants to speak through its natural character. In Menyamya, farmers harvest ripe cherries by hand and process them in small village wet mills. After hulling, the beans undergo fermentation, which breaks down the remaining pulp, and are then thoroughly washed with clean water. Drying takes place on tarps or African beds until the beans reach the ideal moisture content. The finished coffee is then transported to the port in Lae, from where it is shipped to exporters who handle the final sorting. The result is a clean and transparent cup that fully highlights what the Typica, Arusha, and Bourbon varieties naturally offer in the Menyamya mountains.