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In Meulaboh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra Island, Indonesia, there is a famous drink that attracts both locals and tourists: upside-down coffee, or Kupi Khop.
Kupi Khop consists of coarsely ground robusta coffee brewed in a cup, then inverted on a glass saucer. A plastic straw is then used to gently extract the coffee from the cup without spilling uncontrollably. Another way to enjoy it, often used by locals, is to bring the entire saucer to your mouth and sip. This drink is sold throughout Indonesia for between $2 and $3 per cup.
Kupi Khop is a type of coffee served in an inverted cup on a glass saucer.
If you visit West Coast Aceh in Indonesia, you owe yourself a cup of Kupi Khop coffee. The unique serving method alone makes it worth a try, because even if you don't enjoy the coffee, you can at least share it on Instagram or any other social media platform you like.
In Meulaboh, Aceh Barat, the famous Kupi Khop is located in Suak Ribee. This type of coffee has been around for decades.
Kupi Khop comes in two types: black and brown coffee. The coffee used to make Kupi Khop is robusta, which is very dark. The owner uses ground coffee mixed with hot water. Therefore, when the cup is inverted, the liquid flows out slowly, instead of overflowing uncontrollably. Customers can drink Kupi Khop hot or cold, black or brown.
Another way to enjoy it, often used by locals, is to bring the entire plate to your mouth and savor it.
This way of drinking coffee has ancient origins, invented by fishermen in Aceh. Back then, before thermos flasks existed, people devised a way to keep their coffee warm for as long as possible while fishing.
They placed a saucer on top of the coffee cup to keep it from cooling down too quickly. However, having to remove the lid every time they brought it to their mouths was inconvenient, so they came up with the idea of turning the cup upside down. Each time they sipped, they could simply bring the entire cup and saucer to their mouths and enjoy. Turning the coffee cup upside down also helped the fishermen avoid dust, insects, and other impurities from getting inside and spoiling their drink. Kupi Khop has survived to this day and has become one of Meulaboh's specialties.
Furthermore, it is said that the presentation of Kupi Khop is also inspired by the hat of the local national hero, Teuku Umar. This method dates back to the colonial era or when Teuku Umar was a guerrilla fighter.
Coffee shops have come up with all sorts of advertising to gain a competitive edge, but Kupi Khop has an advantage in terms of promotion. It has been officially declared a World Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBT) of West Aceh Regency, and its history can be traced back centuries.
This drink is now sold throughout the country, costing between $2 and $3 a cup.
So how do you enjoy coffee upside down? Lifting the cup off the saucer will only cause the coffee to spill and create a mess. That's where the straw comes in. It usually slides under the rim of the upside-down cup when the drink is brought to the table, but locals have learned to slide it under the cup themselves without lifting the cup off the saucer.
Once the straw is in place, all you have to do is gently blow into it, increasing the pressure inside the cup and causing the coffee to flow out. When a puddle forms around the cup, simply use the straw to sip the liquid. Then, just repeat the process as many times as needed. This way, the coffee will stay warm longer, just like it did hundreds of years ago.
