Pia CoAs a person who was born and raised in the Philippines, I was absolutely delighted to hear that a Filipino coffee shop was opening in Southgate Centre. Intent Coffee is owned by proud first-generation, queer Pilipinx activists who are bringing the coffee culture of my childhood to Edmonton.
Outside of the excellent snacks and beverages that Intent has to offer, they also have a large selection of chocolate, coffee beans, and locally sourced magazines and accessories. I decided to pick up a bag of coffee beans from Kapé Philippine Coffee, a company based in Vancouver that sources ethically sourced, direct-trade beans from local farmers in the Philippines.
I specifically chose the Manang Mina Asiaben-Luisito brew. “Manang” means older sister or an older sister figure in Tagalog, the most spoken language in the Philippines. Mina Asiaben-Luisito is the name of the farmer who grew the beans — I really liked that I knew the name of who grew the coffee I had the privilege of trying.
The coffee was also grown in Benguet, which is right by my hometown. The tasting notes listed on the bag are “peanut brittle, mamon (a famous Filipino sponge cake delicacy), and mandarins”, which were snacks I grew up eating a lot of. I felt an intimate connection the second I picked up the bag.
I brewed the Manang Mina blend using the stovetop Moka Pot method, as well as a regular drip coffee machine. I preferred the flavour of the drip method. The coffee is gently sweet, with a hint of citrus. The beans are unwashed, and lend themselves to a very rich-bodied but medium-flavoured blend. As someone who drinks my coffee primarily black, the coffee had the pleasant flavour of slightly salted roasted peanuts and was not sour at all.
I appreciated the balance of the brew. I typically go for earthy and dark chocolate coffees, but I was able to experience a more floral and gently acrid brew through Manang Mina. I will continue to support coffees from these farmers from the Philippines, and I am looking forward to trying other beans!
