Java receives its name from the island of Java in Indonesia.
In 1928, P. J. S. Cramer, the famous Dutch botanist, brought a selection of Arabica varieties from Ethiopia to Java Island. Later the descendants of those varieties were taken to Cameroon and have been planted widely there as well as in Java, itself.
The seeds and berries of Java are oblong. Young leaves are bronzed and the trees are known for being highly productive.
Java can also refer to the JavaNica variety produced within Nicaragua. The variety came to prominence when Don Esteban Mierisch ‘saved’ a bunch of coffees seeds that were about to be discarded. The Mierisch family, today, is Nicaragua’s largest producer of this variety, much sought after for its floral, complex cup profile. Although the origins of JavaNica aren’t entirely clear, it is thought to be related to Typica due to its elongated bean shape.
