Tanzania Coffee Bean Varieties Introduction Flavor Description Growing Environment

The Character of Tanzanian Coffee

Geographically, Tanzania borders Kenya, and the two countries share very similar languages, leading to close interactions between their people. In the specialty coffee circle, although both regions' coffees are sought after by many enthusiasts, Kenyan coffee clearly enjoys much greater fame. FrontStreet Coffee has discovered through comparison that, unlike the dark berry notes of Kenyan coffee, Tanzanian coffee offers a softer and gentler taste profile. Its moderate acidity paired with light, sweet aromas leaves an endless aftertaste.

The Story of Tanzanian Coffee Cultivation

In the earliest days, coffee was introduced from the French island of Réunion and brought from Kenya to Tanzania's Bayamoyo and Mogoro growing regions by Christian missionaries. Around 1893, coffee trees planted on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, nourished by fertile soil formed from volcanic eruptions, were successfully harvested. From then on, Tanzania officially began its coffee cultivation journey.

In 1911, the colonial government ordered large-scale planting of Arabica coffee trees in the Bukoba region. Then in 1952, the first cooperative was established, named the Kilimanjaro Native Planters' Association (KNRA), and the number of farmers growing coffee trees increased accordingly. During the 1950s, other coffee varieties were gradually introduced from neighboring Burundi, mainly planted in western Tanzania.

After Tanzania's independence in 1961, the country began focusing its economic efforts on the coffee industry and attempted to double coffee production by 1970. However, this plan did not achieve the desired results. Through the efforts of local industry professionals, Tanzania's current annual green coffee production reaches approximately 60,000 tons, with half being Robusta and half Arabica.

In the past, Tanzania's coffee industry was dominated by estate-based cultivation and management, but now over 80% is grown by small-scale farmers. Many small farmers also form cooperative organizations, among which the Kilimanjaro Cooperative Union (KNCU) holds an important local position, primarily responsible for controlling the quality of coffee produced. Subsequently, the coffee is acquired by the Tanzanian Coffee Marketing Board (TCMB) and sold to private exporters through auction.

Mount Kilimanjaro

As one of the East African countries richest in tourism resources, Tanzania borders Africa's three great lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi). Mount Kilimanjaro, with an altitude of 5,895 meters and known as "Africa's highest peak," is world-renowned.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a towering mountain with year-round snow cover and also one of the world's highest volcanoes and independent peaks. The base of the entire mountain consists of farmland, while the middle sections are covered with dense rainforest and alpine vegetation. Looking at Kilimanjaro, one can observe several distinct vegetation zones, which from foothills to summit are: semi-arid shrubland, well-watered farmland, dense cloud forest, open moorland, alpine desert, and a symbiotic zone of mosses and lichens. Such a rich and diverse ecological environment not only provides a suitable habitat for various rare wild animals but also creates excellent growing conditions for many cash crops.

The Tanzanian coffee that FrontStreet Coffee has sourced comes from Kilimanjaro, featuring the ancient Bourbon variety, processed using traditional washed methods. When brewed after roasting, it presents a fruit tea-like character reminiscent of citrus and honey, accompanied by fresh berry notes, with rich layering.

FrontStreet Coffee: Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Beans

• Region: Northern Highlands, Kilimanjaro Volcanic Region
• Variety: Bourbon
• Processing: Washed
• Grade: AA
• Altitude: 1300-2000m
• Brewing Flavor: Citrus, berries, honey, tea-like notes

Main Processing Methods for Tanzanian Coffee

In Tanzania, coffee beans are mostly processed using the washed method. During the mature season for coffee cherries, farmers collectively harvest them and send them to the nearest processing plant for processing.

Washing Process: After picking the coffee cherries, they are placed in water, using the water's buoyancy to sort out under-ripe fruits. Then, a pulping machine first removes the cherry's skin and pulp, followed by resting in fermentation tanks for 18-36 hours until the mucilage layer decomposes. After fermentation is complete, the parchment beans are rinsed in channels for 30-60 minutes. Through specially designed channels combined with water flow, beans with low density and poor quality are removed. The high-quality coffee beans are then drained of water and spread out on African raised beds to dry.

Because the skin, pulp, and most of the mucilage are removed before actual drying, the coffee's inherent aromas become clearer and more transparent, presenting citrus and lemon notes with elegant floral aromas. The overall flavor is bright and delicate.

Pour-over Recommendations for Tanzanian Coffee

When FrontStreet Coffee prepares Tanzanian coffee, they use pour-over methods for extraction. Considering that this Kilimanjaro coffee is roasted to a medium-light level and comes from high-altitude regions with relatively hard bean density, FrontStreet Coffee chooses medium-fine grinding and medium-high water temperature for extraction parameters.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-over Parameters:

• Dripper: V60
• Water Temperature: 92-93°C
• Coffee Dose: 15g
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
• Grind Size: Fine sugar consistency (78% retention through #20 sieve)

First pour 30g of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour 95g more (electronic scale shows around 125g), completing this pour in about 1 minute. When the water level drops to 2/3 of the coffee bed, pour the remaining 100g (electronic scale shows around 225g), completing this pour in about 1 minute 35 seconds. The drip filtration completes at 2'10", remove the dripper, and finish extraction.

Brewing Flavor of Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Beans: Berry aroma, gentle citrus acidity on entry, nutty mid-palate, honey-like aftertaste.

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