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Aceh  province in the westernmost of  Indonesia is called    Serambi Mekah or the Veranda of Mecca. This because people there are known to be devout Muslims. However, Aceh is also popular with its traditional coffee shops or coffee stalls As a coffee producing area,   there are two types of coffee cultivated in Aceh, namely Arabica  and Robusta coffee. Arabica  coffee is generally cultivated in the highlands of Tanah Gayo, Southeast Aceh and Gayo Lues.  Whereas in Pidie District especially Tanse , Geumpang and West Aceh,  Robusta coffee type is more dominantly developed.

Gayo coffee is famous for its savory bitter taste and sharp aroma. In the highlands of Gayo there is a way of drinking coffee, passed down from generation to generation called Kopi Kartup or Kertup coffee. Basically, it means drinking hot black  coffee  with pieces of palm sugar or brown sugar which is supposed to enrich the taste of coffee.

The term Kertup comes from Aceh language which means to bite or being  bitten. To enjoy  a cup of  Kertup  coffee you  must  first put a piece of palm sugar into your  mouth. Chew it slowly or let the lump melt in your mouth  to mix the fainttly bitter  taste of coffee with sweet  palm sugar. Feel the sensation of a mixture of liquid coffee and molasses of palm sugar, and the taste of caffeine that meets palm sugar in the palate, it feels very unique. The sweet taste produced by palm sugar is different from the ordinary white  sugar or sweetener.

Today  Kopi  kertup or kertup coffee  from Gayo is  a little hard to find in Aceh  except  in some coffee stalls managed by people from  Gayo who preserve the tradition of drinking this coffee. Yet, if  you  want to try Gayo-style kertup coffee  you  can do it yourself as long as following  the ways.

Choose original  coffee powder from Gayo which is now widely sold and packaged nicely. Why Gayo Coffee? This is none other than to get the  taste that is not much different from the original  Kertup Coffee from Gayo, Aceh. First you need to  boil the water, then pour  approximately 100-120 cc to 1-2 tablespoons of coffee. Do not pour the  hot water at once, but divide it into  two pours. The first pour is about a  quarter of the water, let the coffee powder dissolve nicely first, then stir without using a spoon, just  turn or spin  the glass or cup. After it  mixed evenly, pour the remaining water. Set a few moments for the aroma  to come out. Rough coffee powder will be come  above the surface, lower or drain it using a spoon. Wait a while, then the kertup coffee is ready to  be enjoyed. Do not forget to prepare the sugar palm. You’d feel the Unique sensation immediately.

Drinking a cup of   Kertup  coffee is another way to enjoy brewed coffee. The presence of brown sugar or palm sugar is  guaranteed to add rich taste of  the coffee on your tongue.///anna trijajakasih