Rwanda Coffee Bean Development History: Industry Origin Story and Characteristics

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Do you know about Rwanda? This is a landlocked country located in Africa. Coffee cultivation is one of the country's economic sources. So what is the coffee flavor of this country? FrontStreet Coffee will share about Rwandan coffee.

Rwandan Coffee Development

Rwanda has been cultivating coffee since the colonial era. Although coffee was the main crop, the quality of coffee produced in Rwanda was not prominent, and its status in the coffee world was low, with few people interested. FrontStreet Coffee found that Brazil, which also experienced colonial rule, once produced coffee beans that prioritized quantity over quality, leading to a reputation for poor coffee quality for a period of time.

The coffee varieties grown in Rwanda are mostly Bourbon. Rwanda is full of mountains and plateaus, and most coffee trees are planted on mountains between 1700 and 2000 meters above sea level, earning it the nickname "Land of a Thousand Hills."

The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) of Rwanda stated that Rwanda's coffee strategy is "to position Rwanda as a specialty coffee-producing country." To enable the coffee industry to better promote national development and prosperity, and to increase coffee exports to drive national economic development, the rise in Rwanda's coffee prices is a sign of its success. The government will focus on improving production and processing measures.

The reason Rwanda can achieve its current prosperity is actually thanks to the strong construction by the Rwandan government and the support of foreign non-governmental organizations and private groups. This is because in 1994, Rwanda experienced a genocide, with a massive reduction in population, and the coffee industry also stagnated.

It wasn't until 1995 that Rwanda slowly regained stability. In 2000, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the PEARL and SPREAD programs were established, aimed at supporting Rwanda's agricultural reconstruction and promoting the improvement of Rwandan coffee quality, assisting farmers in achieving better income.

FrontStreet Coffee also sees that Rwandan coffee is developing rapidly and its quality is becoming stable. Recently, FrontStreet Coffee has purchased several batches of coffee beans from different producing regions in Rwanda and found flavors that differ from other African coffee beans.

Rwandan Coffee Producing Regions

Rwanda's land area is only four times that of Guangzhou. The small land area and similar coffee cultivation altitudes mean that coffee beans grown in different regions do not show significant differences in flavor presentation.

Rwanda's Arabica coffee bean producing regions are mainly distributed in the southern and western parts. The Huye mountainous area and Nyamagabe region in the south, due to higher altitudes, have coffee beans with floral and citrus flavors; while the Nyamasheke region on the shores of Lake Kivu in the west produces high-quality coffee with rich, aromatic, and juicy textures.

Although the flavor differences between producing regions are not large, there are still distinctions when tasted carefully. People often ask FrontStreet Coffee how to distinguish them, feeling that flavor is something mysterious. In fact, FrontStreet Coffee has also undergone extensive flavor recognition training to distinguish the coffee flavors of different producing regions, which requires time, effort, and persistence.

FrontStreet Coffee Rwanda Gishwati

Region: Nyamasheke area
Altitude: 1500m
Variety: Bourbon
Processing Method: Washed processing

Rwandan Bourbon Coffee Beans

Over 90% of Rwanda's coffee varieties are Bourbon introduced in earlier times, along with mixed varieties from the Bourbon family, which possess resistance to natural disasters. Bourbon coffee was initially popular throughout Latin America, but due to poor disease resistance, fewer countries grow it. The Latin American Bourbon coffee beans that FrontStreet Coffee currently sources include Brazilian Red Bourbon, Brazilian Yellow Bourbon, and Colombian Pink Bourbon. In comparison, Rwandan Bourbon still enjoys advantages, which is one of the reasons why FrontStreet Coffee sources Rwandan coffee beans.

Rwandan Coffee Processing Methods

In 2000, Rwanda, having just experienced internal political turmoil, received funding from USAID for two major coffee development programs, PEARL and SPREAD, aimed at supporting Rwanda's reconstruction. After the implementation of these programs, Rwanda successively built 46 coffee washing stations, enabling Rwanda's economy to grow significantly through the strong export of coffee beans.

Therefore, Rwandan coffee beans currently mainly use the washed processing method. Hand-pick ripe coffee cherries, remove the skin and pulp, undergo 12-18 hours of washed fermentation, clean the mucilage thoroughly, and finally dry to below 14% moisture content.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that when Rwandan coffee beans were in their early development stages, establishing washing as the main processing method was a choice that could clearly highlight the coffee's flavor. Because washing is the processing method that best reflects the essential flavor of coffee, when FrontStreet Coffee recommends a coffee-producing region, it will also first recommend washed coffee beans to customers, so they can clearly understand the flavor characteristics of that region.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Recommendations

Since Rwandan coffee beans have bright acidity, to highlight this flavor, FrontStreet Coffee recommends medium-light roasting.

Bean-in Temperature: 175°C
Yellowing Point: 5'55", 152.1°C
First Crack: 9'20", 183°C
Post-First Crack Development: 2'00", discharged at 194.4°C

When FrontStreet Coffee cupped this Rwandan washed coffee bean, in the dry aroma, there were obvious floral and berry aromas; the wet aroma had honey sweetness and nutty aromas. The overall flavor showed bright acidity, citrus, berries, nuts, with a caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Recommendations

Coffee Grounds: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Water Temperature: 90°C
Grind Size: Fine grind (80% pass-through rate on No. 20 standard sieve)

FrontStreet Coffee uses segmented extraction, using 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. When pouring water in a small circular motion to 125g, segment the extraction. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring to 225g and stop pouring. When the water level drops and is about to expose the coffee bed, remove the filter cup. (Timing starts from the bloom) The extraction time is 2'00".

Flavor Description

Floral and berry aromatics, with distinct citrus, berries, and plum notes upon entry. The mid-palate carries nutty flavors, with a caramel sweetness in the aftertaste.

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on private WeChat, WeChat ID: kaixinguoguo0925

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