Coffee & Culture: Philippines
Welcome back to the Coffee and Culture series! This week we are exploring coffee in the beautiful country of Philippines with two gracious contributors who have local knowledge.
The first is Ms. Joji Felicitas Pantoja, President and CEO of Coffee for Peace in Davao City, Philippines. “At its core, Coffee for Peace owns a small coffee shop that serves as a showroom for organically cultivated and locally grown coffee beans. As a growing enterprise, CFP consists of a community of business owners and farmers who are practicing and advocating direct fair trade principles, in the coffee industry to advance justice and peace. Their fair trade coffee is produced locally and distributed throughout the Philippines and internationally.” The second contributor is my friend David Piconcillo Saison, originally from Bacolod City, Philippines and now a part of the University for Peace community in Costa Rica. Let’s dive in!
What are some unique coffee recipes or methods of preparation from the Philippines, or which are important to Filipino culture?
David says that Filipino coffee is usually prepared like your normal brewed coffee, and better served black since it’s so strong. This traditional black coffee is often referred to as barako coffee. He mentioned that since the coffee is collected in the humid mountain regions, and the coffee oftentimes arrives a little wet, the preparation is a bit different. The green beans are boiled first, let to dry for a time and then ground. The coffee is roasted fresh on the day it is bought. David says that there are many different types of coffee, but the two most popular are the batangas and Canla-on, which is farmed mountainside by indigenous peoples.
Joji gave me some insight into an extra special variety, a delicacy throughout Southeast Asia called kopi luwak, or “civet coffee.” “Civet coffee are coffee cherries eaten by Civet cat at night time (because they are nocturnal). The droppings will now be picked up by the tribal farmers until they accumulate more. 1 Kilo of green beans will cost around $150. Roasted beans could fetch up to $500 per kilo.”
When do you normally drink coffee? Who do you drink it with?
Joji says that people “drink coffee in the morning, lunch time or siesta, and in the evening. We drink coffee with family, with friends, with guests. If there is no coffee served, then there must be something wrong.”
David told me that he drinks coffee with lots of sugar every single morning, saying, “I can’t continue my life without coffee. The thing is that coffee is so available everywhere. Like when you go to the old central market, it already smells of coffee because they sell the beans there.” He also mentioned that oftentimes the coffee beans are often set out to dry on pieces of cloth on the street, and remembers dodging the beans when riding through the city on motorbike.
When did you start drinking coffee?
Joji tells me that people in the Philippines start drinking coffee at an early age, maybe around 10 years old.
David confirms this, saying that “when I was 10 years old or younger, my mom was always making coffee at home and I could smell it. But I would drink it cold, at first.”
What does coffee mean to you?
For Joji, coffee is something that brings people together.
For David, coffee is a kickstart for the day. He says that he’s not really dependant on coffee, but the day is just different if he does drink coffee (I can relate!).
Thanks to both David and Joji for sharing their coffee stories! It was such a pleasure getting to hear about Filipino coffee culture and what makes it so unique. Tune in next week for another our final piece on the world’s favorite drink!
Coffee & Culture is a series unpacking coffee traditions around the world, while learning from the stories of connoisseurs. We recognize the danger of a single story, and will try to stay away from describing a culture based on these stories. If you enjoy these stories, feel free to subscribe to our newsletter for more!
