Drinking coffee is one of the Acehnese habits in Aceh, Indonesia. Most people in Aceh drink coffee. They drink coffee very often in one day. They drink coffee once day and even for many people drink more than once. It can be three times or even more than three such as the addicted coffee drinkers. For the addicted coffee drinkers, drinking coffee is a must. If they do not drink coffee, even once or when they are late to drink coffee as usual, they can have headache. They will be find after drinking coffee. Because of drinking coffee is a habit for most Acehnese, therefore, when you come to Aceh, you will easily find coffee shops. Sometimes you can be shock to see in one street, there are more coffee shops you can see and come in for coffee. Several years ago, almost all coffee shops in Aceh serve robusta coffee. So, most people in Aceh drink that kind of coffee.
May be some of you, who have ever been in Aceh post tsunami disaster, you might have come to some coffee shops in Aceh, such as Solong coffee shop, Chek Yukee, Cut Nun coffee shops etc which served you with Robusta coffee with the art of serving was very interesting. I believe that if you have been to Aceh, you have memory of drinking coffee together with friends at SOLONG coffee in Ule Kareng Banda Aceh. May be it is still in your mind, the situation where the coffee shops were full of the visitors who came to enjoy coffee or for discussing something with friends in the coffee shop. Post tsunami disaster where Aceh was becoming as an open area after a long political and blooding armed conflict, it made more people come to the coffee shops, not only local, but also foreigners who came and worked in Aceh. Therefore SOLONG and Kopi Ule Kareng is popular until now. Aceh in its history shows that almost all people in Aceh like drinking coffee, includes children and even teenagers. has an interesting history for coffee drinkers.
Who comes to the coffee shops?
Reflecting to the history of the coffee shops in Aceh in the decades, Aceh has a long history dealing with coffee. Unfortunately, I can not explain more about its history completely. At least I can tell you as far as I know. The coffee shops in Aceh follow the development or the progress of technology. Several years ago, when television was as the only medium of information sharing and as entertainment tools. Most coffee shops facilitated with television. Not only television, but they also used parabolic antenna for accessing the World cup even. It made more people like to spend their times at the coffee shop.
Nowadays, when the sophisticated communication and information technology exist, the coffee shops in Aceh are modernized. the performance of the coffee shops change rapidly. The concept of coffee shops in the past were only like the simple building, not so well decorated in a modern system, now almost all coffee shops in Aceh are modernized and equipped with videos, large screen TV, and even fee internet access. The availability of internet has brought impacts for students to stay more longer at the coffee shops. They can order coffee and foods while accessing internet freely for more than one hour.
The change is not only with the equipments, but the kind of coffee the offer us. Now there are new coffee shops with modern design and serve Arabica Gayo coffee for the visitors. They offer us in various tastes and names, such as black coffee, Sanger, espresso, etc. The prices are different from the Robusta coffee. The Arabica Gayo coffee is more expensive that Robusta. Even it is more expensive, but now more people enjoy the Arabica Gayo coffee. It shows the class of the drinkers too. If you come to Aceh, you will easily find the coffee shops which serve you the Arabica Gayo coffee until midnight and even 24 hours service.
However, if you like drinking tea, you can also enjoy there. Even not many people drink teas such as children and even teenagers. Ya, Not many people drink tea as in other places such in Java where almost all people in Java drink tea. So, do you want to enjoy the new trend of drinking coffee in Aceh?Prepare your self, and enjoy the taste of Arabica Coffee in Aceh as you see me in the picture. We welcome you warmly.