Rasuna is a Sumatran coffee variety with an unusual bit of family history. It is generally described as a cross between Typica and Catimor, bringing together two varieties with very different strengths. The idea was to get some of Catimor's productivity and disease resistance without giving up the longer productive life associated with Typica.
It's still a relatively uncommon name outside Indonesia, but Rasuna has become particularly associated with farms in North Sumatra, including Wahana Estate in Sidikalang.
Why was Rasuna developed?
Catimor became widely planted in Sumatra because it produces well and has useful resistance to coffee leaf rust. The problem is that its production can decline after around ten years.
Typica has almost the opposite set of characteristics. It can produce excellent coffee and has a longer productive lifespan, but yields are relatively low. For farmers working small plots in difficult growing conditions, that can make it a harder variety to rely on for consistent production.
Rasuna was developed by crossing the two. The aim was to find a plant that could combine better yields and disease resistance with a longer productive life. Coffee sources generally describe it as a Typica and Catimor hybrid, although the exact history of its development is not especially well documented in the public literature.
Where does Rasuna grow?
Rasuna is associated with Sumatra, particularly the highlands of North Sumatra and Aceh. It is grown around the Gayo region and in areas around Sidikalang, including Dairi Regency.
Wahana Estate in Sidikalang has become one of the better-known sources of Rasuna as a named variety. The estate grows Rasuna across around 90 hectares, with coffees produced using washed, natural and wet-hulled methods. Its Rasuna coffees are generally grown between 1,300 and 1,500 metres above sea level.
Rasuna is also known locally as Lasuna. The names can be a little confusing, though. Some sources use Lasuna for a local type of coffee that may be related to Typica, while others use it as another name for the Catimor and Typica hybrid. It is therefore worth checking the producer information rather than assuming that every coffee labelled Lasuna has the same genetic background.
Growing Rasuna
The appeal of Rasuna is largely practical. Catimor contributes disease resistance and higher productivity, while Typica contributes a longer productive lifespan. The hybrid was intended to sit somewhere between the two.
It isn't completely resistant to coffee leaf rust, but it does have useful resistance inherited from its Catimor parent. Trees are described as medium-tall, with slender leaves and red cherries.
At Wahana Estate, Rasuna is grown at around 1,300–1,500 metres. That is higher than many of the lower-growing coffee areas of Sumatra and gives the variety a cooler environment and a relatively slow maturation period.
What does Rasuna taste like?
There isn't a single Rasuna flavour profile. Processing makes a particularly noticeable difference, as you can see from coffees produced at Wahana Estate.
Wet-hulled Rasuna tends to have the heavier, earthy character often associated with Sumatran coffee. Wahana's Sidikalang wet-hulled coffee, which includes Rasuna alongside Bourbon, is described as full-bodied and complex, with cocoa, spice and earthy notes.
Washed Rasuna can be quite different. Wahana's washed lot has been described with caramel sweetness, dry orange and a spicy finish, while other washed examples have shown flavours including raspberry, lime, almond and hibiscus.
Natural processing brings out more fruit and sweetness. A Wahana Rasuna natural has been described as full-bodied with fruitiness and a sweet finish, and other lots have shown flavours such as blueberry, lychee, vanilla and dragon fruit.
That range is part of what makes Rasuna interesting. The variety provides one piece of the puzzle, but the processing method can take the coffee in noticeably different directions.
Rasuna in Sumatra
Rasuna isn't as widely recognised as Catimor, Typica or some of the newer Indonesian selections. It does, however, occupy an interesting place in Sumatran coffee. Its parentage reflects a very practical approach to variety selection: finding a balance between productivity, disease resistance and the useful characteristics of older arabica varieties.
It also gives producers another option when separating coffees by variety. A carefully processed Rasuna can be quite a long way from the earthy, heavy profile people often expect from wet-hulled Sumatra, particularly when the coffee is washed or naturally processed.
Quick varietal facts
Varietal: Rasuna, also known as Lasuna
Species: Coffea arabica
Origin: Indonesia
Parentage: Typica × Catimor
Prevalent in: Indonesia, particularly Sumatra
Altitude: Around 1,100–1,500 metres, with Wahana Estate lots generally at 1,300–1,500 metres
Fruit colour: Red
Tree size: Medium tall
Leaf characteristics: Slender, elongated leaves
Disease resistance: Some resistance to coffee leaf rust, inherited from Catimor
Yield: Developed to provide better productivity than Typica
Production life: Intended to be longer than Catimor
Tasting notes: Varies with processing; wet-hulled coffees tend towards full body, cocoa, spice and earth, while washed and natural lots can show more citrus, berry fruit and sweetness
Further reading
- Royal Coffee: Indonesian Coffee Cultivars and Varieties
- Sweet Maria's Coffee Library: Lasuna
- Cafe Imports: Coffee Variety Glossary
Related varietal: Catimor