Kahawa Sug facts for kids

Kahawa Sūg, also known as Sulu coffee, is a special type of coffee grown by the Tausug people in the Sulu Archipelago, Philippines. It's a kind of robusta coffee plant. This coffee comes from robusta plants first brought to Sulu in the 1860s. It's a very important part of the traditional Tausug culture. Most Kahawa Sūg is enjoyed locally, but recently, it has started to be sent to other places. Sadly, this unique coffee is now in danger because new kinds of coffee plants that grow faster are being introduced.

The Story of Sulu Coffee

Kahawa Sūg has a very interesting beginning, different from other traditional coffees in the Philippines. Robusta coffee plants arrived in the Sulu archipelago in the 1860s. A merchant named Herman Leopold Schück, who was from Prussia, brought them. Schück became good friends with Sultan Jamalul Alam, the ruler of the Sulu Sultanate. They even became "blood brothers" through a special blood compact ceremony. Schück decided to live in the Philippines.

He started a large farm with 20,000 robusta coffee plants in a village called Lukut Lapas. This area is now known as Anuling in Patikul, Sulu. The local people soon began growing the coffee too, and it became known as kahawa Sūg. The name literally means "Sulu coffee." It comes from the Arabic word qahwah (which means "coffee") and Sūg, which is the native Tausug name for the Sulu archipelago, meaning "sea currents."

Coffee and Tausug Culture

Kahawa Sūg is a very important part of Tausug culture in Sulu. It's often served with bangbang, which are local snacks, or latal, a big plate with many traditional dishes. When Kahawa Sūg is served, it usually comes with an extra empty glass. People pour the hot coffee back and forth between the two glasses. This helps to cool the coffee down and also releases its wonderful smell. People say this coffee is not too sour and not too bitter.

In Muslim communities across the Philippines, Kahawa Sūg is sold in special local coffee shops called kahawahan. Most people enjoy it black, without milk or sugar.

How Sulu Coffee is Grown

Kahawa Sūg is grown widely in Sulu. The soil there is naturally very rich, which helps the coffee plants grow well. About 7,300 metric tons of Kahawa Sūg are produced each year. However, most of this coffee is used locally in Mindanao. It's not often sent to other places because of some challenges in the region over the past few decades. Many Filipinos outside of Mindanao don't even know that Sulu has its own special coffee.

Traditionally, coffee berries are picked by hand. Farmers carefully choose only the ripe, red berries. This is different from modern ways of harvesting robusta, where whole branches are stripped. After picking, Kahawa Sūg berries are usually soaked in water. Then, their outer skin is removed. They are washed again and left to ferment overnight before being rinsed and dried.

In recent years, the Department of Agrarian Reform in the ARMM has started helping local coffee farmers. They have a project called ARCCESS (Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services). This project provides training, tools, and money to farmers. In 2017, a Filipino company called Universal Robina Corporation bought 10 metric tons of Kahawa Sūg.

A well-known leader among local coffee growers is Kumalah Sug-Elardo. She is a full-blooded Tausug princess and comes from two royal families of Sulu. She is often called the "Coffee Princess." In 2009, she started the People's Alliance for Progress Multipurpose Cooperative (PAP-MPC). Her goal was to help people in the region improve their lives.

Kahawa Sūg is also used to make kahawa kubing. This is a local type of civet coffee, which is made from coffee beans that have been eaten and passed through the digestive system of a civet animal.

Protecting Kahawa Sug

Kahawa Sūg is listed in the Ark of Taste. This is an international list of endangered traditional foods put together by the Slow Food movement. The coffee is at risk because new types of coffee plants that grow faster and produce more are being brought into Sulu. These new plants could replace the traditional Kahawa Sūg plants.