• Digital Nomad Resources
  • Train Travel
  • Urban Rail Transit
  • Where To Stay

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Kopi Joss – The charcoal coffee of Yogyakarta

May 5, 2013 By James Clark 24 Comments

Kopi Joss - The charcoal coffee of Yogyakarta

When I’m on the road I’m always on the lookout for interesting cafes and new coffee experiences. On my trip to Yogyakarta I found an unusual brew called Jopi Joss: charcoal coffee.

Charcoal in coffee
[Kopi Joss – it tastes better than it looks.]

Kopi Joss preparation starts off in the usual Javanese style, with loose coffee grinds and sugar added to a cup and hot water poured on top. The magic ingredient – flaming hot charcoal – is then added to the brew. So basically this is a coffee with a piece of burnt wood floating in it.

Apparently the charcoal neutralizes the acidity of the coffee, making it easier to drink for those who get an upset stomach from coffee. I must have an iron stomach when it comes to coffee as I didn’t notice the difference. The coffee is surprisingly smooth though and it has no burnt or woody aftertaste like I thought it might.

Wood-fired stove

Wood-fired stove.

Blowing hot charcoal

A flaming red piece of charcoal is taken from the stove and the ash and loose embers are blown off.

Hot charcoal into coffee

The hot charcoal is added to the coffee.

Steaming cups of Kopi Joss

The satisfying sight and sound of watching the charcoal sizzle as it cools.

Messy Kopi Joss - Yogyakarta

Once the fire is out you can then fish the charcoal from your cup. Sometimes the coffee bubbles over, leaving messy cup covered in coffee grinds. No napkins here, so if you are offended by a few loose coffee grinds then you are in the wrong place.

I was in Jogja for over a week and I went back several times to get a charcoal coffee fix. One afternoon there was a storm passing through and it was getting dark. The kopi joss dealer lit up a kerosene lantern and continued on his business of preparing coffee. With the light of the lantern and the glow of the fire it felt like I was drinking The Devil’s Cup. It crossed my mind that this would probably not be legal in Australia.

There are a row of kopi joss stalls on the north side of main train station (Tugu) and they open around 4pm. One cup was 3500 IDR (35 cents USD).

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: coffee, indonesia, java, yogyakarta

Comments

  1. Tracy says

    May 5, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    I love my coffee and I’m not so sure how I’d feel about getting a taste of kopi joss but I’ll take your word for it!

    Reply
  2. Thomas Dembie says

    May 6, 2013 at 3:08 am

    Wow! I wish I read this before my last trip to Yogyakarta. Definitely something I would have liked to try. Love the photos and story. We tried kopi luwak at a couple of different places in Bali, but nobody ever mentioned this when we were in Java!

    Reply
  3. Jessica says

    May 6, 2013 at 5:45 am

    This is so interesting! I’m amazed that you say the coffee doesn’t develop an unpleasant smokey taste. Weirdly, last week, I saw a cafe in Kyoto advertising charcoal coffee, but I didn’t get a chance to check it out. I wonder if it’s the same as kopi joss? I really want to try it!

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      May 15, 2013 at 5:10 pm

      Hmm, now I am interested to find out if this coffee in Kyoto is the same thing. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
  4. Adam @ SitDownDisco says

    May 6, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Mad. Indonesia has so many weird and wonderful region-specific foods and drinks that there’s always something new and interesting to experience. Love this story!

    Reply
  5. Rob Danforth says

    May 7, 2013 at 5:11 am

    I thought I knew a bit about coffee until I read this. This is actually the most interesting thing I’ve read in quite some time. I can’t believe the charcoal doesn’t alter the flavor. Great blog!

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      May 15, 2013 at 5:08 pm

      Thanks Rob!

      Reply
  6. Brian Hill says

    May 7, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    I am going to make some myself! I have everything need, including hardwood char (no coal). Then I am going to add frothed milk and have cappuccino char! And please use only a torch to light char or charcoal. I have several, big and small. Please never use charcoal lighter fluid! Yummy!

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      May 15, 2013 at 5:07 pm

      Sounds good Brian. I will try a DIY version one day as well.

      Reply
  7. Charli l Wanderlusters says

    May 15, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Jeepers…surely that’s a health hazard! I’m not a fan of coffee myself but I think I would have to give this a try. What a unique method of making sure your brew is piping hot!

    Reply
  8. Anwar Hussain says

    May 16, 2013 at 12:54 pm

    Hi James! I wonder how it tastes. I have never tried any coffee than regular one and don’t know will ever try or not.. But you are awesome to have it

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      May 25, 2013 at 7:39 am

      It tastes great, you should try it!

      Reply
  9. Tiana Kai says

    June 5, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    This looks amazing! My favorite coffee ever were the frappes in Greece. I haven’t been able to find one similar in Italy and tried experimenting at home… not the same.

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      June 6, 2013 at 2:52 am

      I like the frappes in Greece as well, but they are so strong that I can only have one.

      Reply
      • Tiana Kai says

        June 7, 2013 at 9:01 am

        Haha, me too, and I definitely can not have one after 15!!

        Reply
  10. Jessica says

    June 16, 2013 at 6:00 pm

    Wow, i think this has got to be one of the most unique coffees you’ve tried thus far! I can’t say it looks inviting, but I trust you if you say it tastes much better than it appears. I like how you needed to get your “charcoal coffee fix.” I guess I should make my way over to Indonesia!

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      June 28, 2013 at 3:27 am

      Jessica, if you are a coffee fiend you will love it!

      Reply
  11. balboa says

    June 28, 2013 at 8:32 am

    Maybe Indonesia is the place to go for weird regional coffees. An Indonesian friend once told me that in her home region people crack a raw egg into a cup of coffee, but I’ve never heard of this anywhere else.

    Reply
    • James Clark says

      June 28, 2013 at 12:55 pm

      Thanks for the tip. I didn’t know there was egg coffee in Indonesia. The only place I have heard of it is in Hanoi:
      [http://www.legalnomads.com/2013/01/vietnamese-egg-coffee-recipe.html]

      Reply
  12. iAn of Freedom Wall says

    May 19, 2014 at 9:03 pm

    This is interesting and weird. I will try this but won’t dip the charcoal to glass.

    Reply
  13. aji argo p says

    January 8, 2015 at 3:21 pm

    i am from yogyakarta, yes, this is one of the beverages trademark of this city, the other thing to try maybe egg coffe, ginger coffe, monocotyle “lanang” coffe ( selective beans which doesn’t have split), leaf coffe ( made from coffe leaf, not beans), and green coffe ( literally, the color is green).

    Reply
  14. Angela says

    March 3, 2017 at 12:13 am

    Remarkable! It looks crazy but I would try it.

    Reply
  15. Edward says

    October 20, 2018 at 1:38 am

    bookmarked! I really like your website!

    Reply
  16. bong says

    January 19, 2019 at 7:52 am

    I wonder what is the taste of that? but the chocolate looks coool

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Don Muang Airport Train: Getting the train from DMK to Central Bangkok
  • Bangkok to Pattaya by train
  • Notes on Udon Thani
  • Where to stay in Singapore: The best areas and notable hotels (2023)
  • Ornamental street signs of Thailand
  • Where to stay in Georgetown, Penang – The best area to stay and the pick of the hotels (2023)
  • Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
  • Where to stay in Da Nang – the best areas and most notable hotels (2023)
  • Where to stay in Hanoi: The best areas for first-time visitors
  • Where to stay in Dubai: The best areas and most iconic hotels

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2023 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in