Indonesia (Kopi) Coffee originated in Africa before being traded and farmed on a large scale by Europeans in the nineteenth century. The Dutch brought coffee to Java in the 17th century to be cultivated in a variety of locations and highlands; the Dutch planted the first coffee plantations in Tanah Gayo in 1904. From here, the popularity of Gayo coffee soared.

Farmers began abandoning the formerly dominating agriculture, which primarily consisted of pepper and tea, as a result of their success in generating a superior commodity. Kopi Aceh Gayo was eventually sold to Dutch colonists in Indonesia, with just a small amount sent to Europe. This quickly spread and Indonesian coffee (Kopi) quckly became the first choice for premium coffee.