Which Country Has the Best Coffee Beans? African Coffee Bean Stories and Flavor Characteristics

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow the WeChat Official Account: FrontStreet Coffee When it comes to Africa, FrontStreet Coffee believes that experienced coffee enthusiasts surely know that coffee originated in Ethiopia, Africa! Since Africa is the birthplace of coffee, its quality and flavor must be the most original. Speaking of coffee flavor, FrontStreet Coffee thinks of its unique floral and fruity character. Among them, FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian coffee has a strong citrus aroma, while FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee has rich berry notes, along with the sour fragrance of plum juice and grapefruit, as well as the sweet scent of sugarcane. The citrus aroma of FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopian coffee and the berry fragrance of FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee are the greatest characteristics of African beans and also what fascinates coffee enthusiasts most. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the general characteristics of African coffee are rich aroma and captivating fruit acidity, with a bright and refreshing acidity that is invigorating. However, African coffee often has a slightly thin body and less prominent sweetness. This is because African coffee has long suffered from drought and water scarcity, so most beans are processed using the natural method, resulting in often uneven and unattractive bean shapes with higher defect rates. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the main coffee-producing countries and regions on the African continent to coffee enthusiasts. 1. Ethiopia Coffee has been integrated into Ethiopia's social structure and cultural economy for hundreds of years. In Ethiopia, coffee is their cultural core and an important source of income for most people. The country is also recognized worldwide as the birthplace of coffee and is highly esteemed in the specialty coffee market. Coffee shop menus around the world almost always feature Ethiopian coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee is no exception. But why is Ethiopian coffee so highly praised? FrontStreet Coffee believes that the differences between each producing region in Ethiopia are quite significant, but regardless of the region, as long as it's Ethiopian Arabica coffee, many people find it irresistible. FrontStreet Coffee will take you to explore this birthplace of coffee. Coffee cultivation in Ethiopia is mainly concentrated in the southwestern region, with smallholder families accounting for 90% of total cultivation. Nearly 1.2 million smallholder families depend on coffee cultivation for their livelihood, with each household cultivating less than 4 hectares. The average cultivation altitude is between 1000-2300 meters, with a planting density of 1000-1800 coffee trees per hectare, yielding nearly 600kg of coffee beans. Ethiopia's main producing regions include Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Kaffa Forest, Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harrar, and Limu. Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia and one of the world's highest altitude coffee-producing regions, with an altitude of 1700-2100 meters. It is shrouded in fog year-round, with spring-like seasons, gentle breezes, and cool, humid weather. During the harvest season, Ethiopian coffee trading companies come to the town to purchase coffee beans collected by farmers, which are eventually auctioned and exported under the "Yirgacheffe" brand. To pursue high-quality fruit, the "Red Cherry Project" was implemented, with 100% fully red fruits picked entirely by hand, allowing coffee farmers to focus more on the screening and bean selection process. These coffees are also relatively higher priced. In Ethiopia, there are several cultivation models. According to FrontStreet Coffee's knowledge, they include: Forest coffee (8-10%), where coffee trees coexist with other crops in pristine forests without any artificial management, and farmers regularly go to pick coffee fruits. Semi-forest coffee (30-35%), where coffee trees are planted in areas between forests and the surroundings of farmers' living areas. The coffee trees are the same natural varieties as forest coffee, and farmers manage the coffee tree planting areas and cultivate other cash crops. Garden coffee (50-55%), where coffee trees are planted around farmers' living areas and are mostly cultivated by the farmers themselves. Plantation coffee (5-6%), which consists of large private growers with more processing facilities and production capacity. Among the many beans offered by FrontStreet Coffee, many from Ethiopian producing regions are labeled as Heirloom varieties, which some places translate as "heirloom treasures." In Ethiopia, the garden cultivation system is the survival model for the vast majority of small coffee farmers, and Heirloom varieties come from the "unnamed varieties" in their backyards. Coffee trees may have been left by the first owner of the land, or shared among neighbors, or possibly grown from seeds from another origin. Various coffee plants are intercropped with other economic crops on the land, and are picked and sold when mature. Therefore, Heirloom does not refer to a specific coffee variety; it represents a blend of green beans from the origin, combining the harvests of multiple small farmers during the same period. A single batch may include dozens or even hundreds of undifferentiated varieties. It is precisely because of these differences between varieties, and the different blending methods each time, that these coffee beans vary in particle size, dimensions, and shape - some large, some small, some long, some round - which can be understood as "blended batches." Ethiopia's main processing methods are natural and washed. In recent years, small batches of honey or anaerobic processing have gradually emerged. Below, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the impact of different processing methods on flavor. Natural: This is the most traditional processing method. The Harrar region is particularly dry and lacks water conditions for washed processing, so all its output is naturally processed. Other regions such as Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Guji, and Jimma also produce natural processed coffee. Flavor: Ripe fruit aroma, similar to apricot, peach, cherry, strawberry, cranberry (dried), blueberry (dried), plum, etc., accompanied by varying degrees of wine-like aroma, similar to rum, whiskey, and even red wine. Washed: Compared to natural processing, washed processing requires stable water resources, and has higher requirements for processing plant environment and equipment. However, it can more stably produce high-quality coffee in large quantities. All regions except Harrar use washed processing. Flavor: Citrus fruits, similar to lemon, tangerine, orange, grapefruit, sweet pomelo. The flavor intensity ranges from more obvious citrus (peel) aroma to varying strengths of fruit acidity, from gentle small tangerines to medium-strength oranges, to more refreshing lemon and grapefruit acidity. Honey: In recent years, items marked as Kochere honey processed have gradually appeared on the market. This is a green bean processing method between natural and washed, with aroma and taste often showing rounded, clear characteristics. Flavor: Obvious floral aroma, delicate mouthfeel, long-lasting juice-like quality. Red pomelo, citrus, sugarcane, honey, with clean and gentle flavor. Below are the Ethiopian coffee types and regional characteristics currently available at FrontStreet Coffee: FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Red Honey Red Cherry Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 2000-2200m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Red Honey Processing Flavor: Jasmine, citrus, honey, berries, almond, fermented red wine The so-called honey processing refers to the process of making green beans by sun-drying with the mucilage intact. After removing the outer pulp of the coffee beans, there is a layer of viscous, gelatinous substance. Traditional washed processing uses clean water to wash it away, but due to water resource limitations in some high-altitude regions, this direct drying method was born. The pectin mucilage is the part of the coffee fruit with the highest sugar content and an important component of coffee processing fermentation. It can be said that this part determines 80% of the nutritional supply during processing. Yellow honey retains 60% of the pectin, red honey retains 75% of the pectin, and black honey retains almost all the pectin. FrontStreet Coffee believes that red honey processed coffee beans have a ripe fruit aroma with a faint red wine fermentation scent. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 2300m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Berries, lemon, strawberry, fermented wine aroma The natural processing method is the oldest and most primitive processing method for coffee beans. This FrontStreet Coffee natural red cherry is processed by placing entire coffee cherries with complete pulp and skin on raised beds for sun drying, isolating them from ground contact to prevent earthy impurities from direct sun exposure. After more than two weeks of sun drying, the deep brown coffee fruits are stored for flavor maturation. Before shipment, the processing plant removes the coffee beans from the coffee cherries. This natural processing method results in lower acidity, obvious sweetness, and body, but not as clean as washed processing. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Gedeb Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 1900-2300m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Tropical fruits, cream, honey, berries, citrus The name Gedeb comes from the fact that these coffee cherries are produced by the Gedeb Cooperative. According to FrontStreet Coffee, the Gedeb Cooperative was originally part of the Yirgacheffe Union YCFCU's Woka Cooperative and became independent as the Gedeb Cooperative in 2012, currently with about 300 small farmer members. Gedeb village was one of the first independently separated village areas, and many small farmers were also members of the original Woka Cooperative, so their coffee production skills are unquestionable. The Gedeb Cooperative is known as the last pure land of Yirgacheffe, so it uses very traditional green bean processing methods (washed and natural processing). FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Kochere Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 2000m Variety: Kochere Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Jasmine floral, lemon, bergamot, honey, black tea Kochere is located 25 kilometers southeast of Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia, and is a small producing region that has become prosperous through coffee production. It is also one of the three famous micro-regions of Yirgacheffe. The local population is about 100,000 people, with coffee beans as the main source of income. The local living standards are much better than many Ethiopian villages, with complete health facilities, higher education institutions, and other settings. It is precisely these advanced processing facilities that enable Kochere region's coffee to consistently perform at high levels in washed processing, with clean sweetness featuring complex notes of molasses and citrus. According to FrontStreet Coffee, the renowned coffee review website Coffee Review gave Kochere washed coffee beans a high rating of 94 points. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Woka Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 1650-1800m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Lemon, jasmine tea, black tea, sucrose Woka is located in the Yirgacheffe region, at an altitude of 1800-2000 meters. The Woka Cooperative was established in 2005 and joined the famous Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) in the same year, known for producing high-quality natural Yirgacheffe coffee. This FrontStreet Coffee washed Woka comes from this source. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Natural Aricha Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 1900-2100m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Light fermented wine aroma, sweet orange, spices, honey sweetness FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Aricha is produced at the Kebel Aricha processing plant, with about 650-700 small coffee farmers nearby. Farmers bring ripe coffee berries here for processing in exchange for cash. After the processing plant screens available berries, they are placed directly on racks for sun exposure. For the first few days of drying, they are turned every 2-3 hours to prevent over-fermentation. After four to six weeks of sun drying, workers remove the outer pulp by machine depending on weather and temperature conditions, then transport to Addis for storage. Usually, naturally processed beans are stored as parchment beans until hulling before export to ensure green bean quality. This batch of FrontStreet Coffee's Natural Aricha was rated G1, the highest grade by ECX. From green bean appearance, consistency, freshness to dry aroma and flavor, it is quite excellent. Coffee enthusiasts who love bright acidity and rich berry flavors absolutely cannot miss it! FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Buku Country: Ethiopia Region: Sidamo Altitude: 2250-2350m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Berries, floral tea, honey, lemon, black tea The reason why "Buku" is called "Buku" is because in 2017, Ethiopia's DW green bean company sent their coffee beans to the TOH (Taste Of Harvest) competition hosted by the African Coffee Association, and the natural batch won the TOH Ethiopia championship. This batch of green beans, as a champion, was named "Buku." Buku is located in Hambella. Hambella is in Guji (GUJI), Ethiopia's largest coffee-producing region, administratively belonging to the Oromia region. West of Hambella, Yirgacheffe's Kochore is visible across mountains. To the southeast and north, it borders Guji's Shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha sub-regions. It is Ethiopia's highest altitude coffee sub-region (Harrar is Ethiopia's highest altitude main producing region). FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia 90+ Shembawo Country: Ethiopia Region: Ethiopia Altitude: 1750-2000m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Nectarine, tropical fruits, cream, mango, citrus The story of Ninety Plus Shembawo coffee beans: Drima Zede (FrontStreet Coffee's Shembawo, the name of this Yirgacheffe) means "Best Approach" in the local language. According to information provided by the original manufacturer, this FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe is a specialized product series developed based on 90+ years of experience. The ancient natural processing method makes it difficult to obtain pure flavors, but with 90+ technical support, Drima Zede only hand-picks the ripest coffee cherries, and the natural drying process involves frequent stirring to ensure uniformity. The final result is a very transparent and pure taste with significant changes between hot and cold, with charming fruit, floral, and oak barrel aromas. 90+ refers to a top-tier coffee series of 13 flavor profiles. 90+ represents the pursuit of ultimate flavor, which is highly admirable. This FrontStreet Coffee 90+ Shembawo has flavors of nectarine, mango, and cream. FrontStreet Coffee believes that coffee enthusiasts who love mango will definitely fall in love with this FrontStreet Coffee 90+ Shembawo. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Cup of Excellence 22 Country: Ethiopia Region: Sidamo Altitude: 2200m Variety: Typica Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Citrus, honey, lychee, cream, fermented wine aroma, mango, strawberry In the first Ethiopia Cup of Excellence (COE), FrontStreet Coffee won the bid for the 22nd place coffee beans. This bean comes from a 60-year-old father, Adem Baneta Sulte, who has 28 children (12 girls). When he heard his results in the Cup of Excellence competition, he was very happy. His coffee scored 87.64 points, ranking 22nd. Adem said: "He produced 4500 kg of coffee on his 6 hectares of land and sold it to local merchants. 'I have never accessed the export market because I didn't have the opportunity, and this competition might introduce me to the global market. This brings great hope to me and my family.'" FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Washed Yirgacheffe Country: Ethiopia Region: Yirgacheffe Altitude: 1600-2500m Variety: Local Heirloom Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Jasmine, orange, berries, lemon, caramel Yirgacheffe is a small town in Ethiopia. Due to its unique climate conditions, it has created specialty coffee in the coffee world. Therefore, coffee beans produced locally are named after this small town, and it has also become synonymous with specialty coffee beans. Coffee beans from the same Yirgacheffe region have different flavor characteristics depending on natural and washed processing methods; under the same processing, FrontStreet Coffee's natural Yirgacheffe coffee beans have obvious red wine dry aroma, while FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe coffee beans have citrus and honey fruit aroma. Both initially have obvious fruit acidity, similar to lemon and citrus fruits, but natural beans are more full-bodied. FrontStreet Coffee believes that washed processing has brighter acidity, like citric acid, with a fresher taste and more obvious citrus aroma; natural processing is more full-bodied, with slightly stronger bitter notes and a much richer taste. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Geisha Village Gold Label Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji Altitude: 1909-2069m Variety: Geisha Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Citrus, lemon, tropical fruits, cream, nuts, tea-like According to FrontStreet Coffee, Geisha Village Coffee Estate is completely different from most Ethiopian farms. It is not a small farm but a large 500-hectare farm with its own washing station and laboratory, located in the southwest near the Sudan border. Its most special feature is that the entire farm only grows Geisha varieties, rather than the generally indeterminate Ethiopian heirloom varieties. Geisha Village divides the farm into 8 zones, with 3 main Geisha varieties. Geisha seeds are all collected from nearby forests, not from Panama. The terrain in the western part of Geisha Village Estate is relatively higher, with the SHEWA-JIBABU zone having slightly higher altitude, while the southern part has a relatively higher shade ratio, and the northern part has longer sunlight exposure. Among the estate's eight zones, the estate manager selects the most suitable variety for each zone based on microclimate differences such as altitude, soil conditions, and shade, ensuring each major zone can form distinct characteristics. Geisha Village's coffee grading includes: Auction, Gold Label, Red Label, Green Label, CHAKA. This FrontStreet Coffee Geisha Village coffee bean is Gold Label grade. FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Label batches account for only 5% of Geisha Village's annual production. These are typically the batches chosen by competition participants worldwide and purchased by roasters with high quality requirements. They have complete traceability, with prominent and complex flavors in each batch, making them the estate's second-best grade after auction batches. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Geisha Village Red Label Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji Altitude: 1909-2069m Variety: Geisha Processing: Natural Processing Flavor: Tropical fruits, cream, bergamot, fermented wine aroma, lemon, nuts Compared to FrontStreet Coffee's Gold Label Geisha Village mentioned above, FrontStreet Coffee's Red Label batches are those with complete traceability and typical Geisha Village flavors, with slightly less flavor intensity and complexity than the Gold Label batches, making them single-origin batches with excellent value for money. FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Geisha Village Chaka Country: Ethiopia Region: Bench Maji Altitude: 1909-2069m Variety: Geisha Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Strawberry, citrus, floral, tropical fruits According to FrontStreet Coffee, Geisha Village Chaka batches mix coffee from all the estate's zones and the entire production season. FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Village Chaka contains three coffee varieties from the estate: Geisha 1931, Gorie Geisha, and Illubabor. According to FrontStreet Coffee's cupping, FrontStreet Coffee's Geisha Village Chaka has a faint fermented aroma, with citrus and grapefruit acidity, accompanied by cream, chocolate, and caramel flavors. The taste is gentle. Coffee enthusiasts who enjoy it might want to give it a try. Below are all the Burundi coffees currently available at FrontStreet Coffee: 2. Burundi Burundi is a very beautiful landlocked country located on the steep East African Rift Valley, with complex terrain. The magnificent ridge suddenly rising on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika forms the watershed between Africa's two major river systems - the Nile and Congo - earning it the beautiful title of "Heart of Africa." Burundi's coffee production model is similar to Ethiopia's, mostly produced by small farmers who send their harvested ripe berries to processing stations for unified processing. For example, the Rutana region producing area is a cooperative formed by family-like small coffee farmers, with a total of 539 small coffee farming families, of which 148 are women. Each family grows an average of 10-200 coffee trees (at least 1000 coffee trees can be planted per hectare), showing their meager annual income and typical poverty-stricken small coffee farming families. Generally, Burundi coffee is mainly Bourbon variety, with some other variant varieties (such as Jackson and Blue Mountain). It is cultivated at altitudes ranging from 700-2,700 meters. High altitude produces brighter acidity and lemon notes, along with passion fruit, pineapple, floral, and honey flavors, with quality reaching SCA 86 points or above; while low altitude coffee has a slightly thinner body with more chocolate and hazelnut flavors. FrontStreet Coffee Burundi Heart of Africa Country: Burundi Region: Bubanza Altitude: 1400-1700m Variety: Bourbon Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Kumquat, lemon, dried fruit, caramel, light acidity According to FrontStreet Coffee, the origin of FrontStreet Coffee's Burundi Heart of Africa is because according to World Bank statistics from 2011, about 600,000-800,000 families in Burundi depend on coffee for their livelihood, making coffee the core of Burundi. Burundi's "Heart of Africa" was introduced through Belgium. Burundi started growing coffee in 1930, with varieties mostly being Bourbon series varieties like neighboring Rwanda. Coffee grows in the high mountains at altitudes of 1750 to 2000 meters. 3. Kenya Kenyan coffee mostly grows at altitudes of 1500-2100 meters, with two harvests per year. Its main characteristic is distinct fruit aroma, with citrus being the common fruit aroma. Kenyan coffee has multi-layered flavors and juice-like acidity, with perfect grapefruit and wine flavors, moderate body, and is a favorite single-origin among many coffee industry professionals. Kenyan coffee gained further fame through the Hollywood movie "Out of Africa." According to FrontStreet Coffee, in Kenya, cutting down or destroying coffee trees is illegal. Kenyan coffee buyers are all world-class specialty coffee buyers. According to FrontStreet Coffee, no other country continuously plants, produces, and sells coffee like Kenya. All Kenyan coffee beans are first acquired by the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK), where they are graded and then sold at weekly auctions without further grading during auction. The Coffee Board of Kenya only acts as an agent, collecting coffee samples and distributing them to buyers to help them determine price and quality. Nairobi auctions are held for private exporters, with the Coffee Board of Kenya paying growers prices below market value. The best coffee grade is Peaberry (PB), followed by AA++, AA+, AA, AB, and so on, in descending order. Generally, premium coffee is glossy, delicious, and slightly wine-flavored. Auctions are also organized to meet the needs of blenders. These auctions usually have smaller quantities (3-6 tons per lot), with samples marked with grower identification for buyer tasting. After auction, exporters package according to different flavors, qualities, and quantities required by blenders. This provides great flexibility for blenders. Quality-conscious Germans and Northern Europeans are long-term buyers of Kenyan coffee. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Kenya has two types of coffee farms. One type consists of large plantations covering more than five acres, though generally at lower altitudes. For Kenyan coffee, the quality of beans from large farms can only be considered medium. Premium Kenyan beans come from small farms, mostly located on foothills or volcanic slopes at altitudes of five to six thousand feet. Each small farm's seasonal production capacity is only about twenty to seventy bags, and they cannot afford expensive washing processing plants. However, small farmers are very united, forming cooperative farms with hundreds or thousands of households. The government funds the construction of washing processing plants, and small farmers send their picked coffee fruits to cooperative farms for unified processing. First, underripe or rotten fruits are removed, then skin removal, fermentation, and pulp decomposition are performed to extract coffee beans, followed by drying and polishing. The entire process is supervised by official coffee authorities, quite rigorous, ensuring the quality of Kenyan coffee. Therefore, Kenya's washed processing technology and high-standard quality control have always been exemplary among coffee-producing countries. FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee flavor has its characteristic bitterness and wine taste, which is most acclaimed. It also grows high-quality Arabica varieties. The beans are medium to large-sized, very rich and flavorful, with moderate acidity. In most producing regions, there is a tomato aroma, which is the greatest characteristic of the Kenyan producing region. Below are all the Kenyan coffees currently available at FrontStreet Coffee: FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Thathini Country: Kenya Region: Thathini Altitude: 1900m Variety: SL28, SL34, Ruiru 11 Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Tomato, fruits, berries Thathini Estate is located in the KIAMBU region around Mount Kenya, at an altitude of about 1800 meters. This area boasts beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, abundant sunlight, and superior soil conditions, belonging to fertile acidic red soil with loose texture, deep soil layers, and good drainage, with pH values between 5.5-6.5. Thathini Limited was initially established in 1952 and was among the first coffee and tea companies established after Kenya's independence. It has obtained multiple certifications including UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, and Kenya Bureau of Standards Diamond mark. FrontStreet Coffee believes that high-quality FrontStreet Coffee Kenyan coffee has bright fruit acidity and exudes intoxicating fruity sweetness. The sweet-sour contrast is significant, with a refreshing and sweet aftertaste, and hints of blackcurrant finish. FrontStreet Coffee Kenya Asalia Country: Kenya Region: Asalia (Honey Processing Station) Altitude: 1550-1750m Variety: SL28, SL34 Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Pear, plum, brown sugar, cherry tomato, plum According to FrontStreet Coffee, SL-28 and SL-34 are two of 40 experimental varieties from a research program led by Guy Gibson at Scott Laboratories. The Bourbon variants (SL-28) and (SL-34) have always been consistent winners at expert cuppings and Nairobi auctions. 4. Rwanda Rwanda is located in central Africa and is a standard landlocked country, with all neighboring countries being major coffee producers. In the early 20th century, Rwanda successively became a colony of Germany and Belgium, with coffee first introduced by German missionaries. During the colonial period, coffee production increased significantly, but exploitation of labor, suppression of coffee crop prices, and high export taxes resulted in less than ideal coffee bean quality, which was a normal phenomenon in commercial coffee development at that time. FrontStreet Coffee found that Brazil, which also experienced colonial rule, once produced coffee beans that prioritized quantity over quality, leading to a period of bearing a reputation for poor coffee quality. After Rwanda gained independence and established its first official coffee organization OCIR, it gradually began to重视 coffee bean production. Rwanda's coffee production continued to grow from the 1960s to 1980s, reaching an unprecedented peak in 1986, until the domestic political situation became unstable in the early 1990s (Rwandan genocide), which halted the coffee industry. FrontStreet Coffee has recently purchased several batches of Rwandan coffee beans from different regions - one because Rwanda's coffee industry is developing rapidly and coffee quality is guaranteed, and second because Rwanda is gradually forming distinct regional flavors that differ from Ethiopia and Kenya. In the early 20th century, Rwanda was a German colony, with coffee first introduced by German missionaries around 1904. Coffee production increased significantly around 1930. Rwanda was once the 9th largest Arabica coffee exporting country in Africa, with nearly 450,000 small farmers, each small farm averaging less than 1 hectare (about 165 coffee trees per coffee farmer), with a total planted area of about 28,000 hectares. Coffee production areas are mainly distributed in the western half of the country and the central region near the capital Kigali. 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 implementation of these programs, Rwanda successively built 46 coffee washing stations, leading to significant growth in Rwanda's economy through the strong export of coffee beans. Therefore, Rwandan coffee beans currently mainly use the washed processing method. Ripe coffee fruits are hand-picked, pulp and skin removed, followed by 12-18 hours of washed fermentation, pectin is cleaned, and finally dried to below 14% moisture content. FrontStreet Coffee believes that when Rwandan coffee beans were starting to develop, determining washed as the main processing method was a choice that could clearly highlight coffee flavor. Because washed processing is the method that best represents 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 more clearly understand the flavor characteristics of that region. In the 2008 top coffee annual evaluation held by the American Specialty Coffee Association (SCAA), Rwanda Aromec top washed Bourbon beans defeated Jamaica Blue Mountain No.1 and Sumatra Mandheling G1 Special Grade, winning the 2008 COE Championship Award, thus establishing its reputation and price in the coffee world. FrontStreet Coffee Rwanda Gisheke Country: Rwanda Region: Nyamasheke Altitude: 1500m Variety: Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Citrus, berries, plum, nuts, honey, tea-like The Gisheke washing processing station is located in the Nyamasheke region of western Rwanda. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Fidele Ndagijimana is a young trader in the Nyamasheke region who saw the development potential of Rwandan specialty washed coffee, so he applied to the government to build this processing plant. In the first year, he successfully produced 170 tons of coffee berries because he used the off-season to improve and expand production equipment, so that when the next harvest season arrived, he could provide better production machines and superior storage environments. Finally, this excellent trader also secured more land near the processing plant for cultivation. The Gisheke washing processing plant consequently became famous. 5. Tanzania Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, stands in the northeastern part of Tanzania. After World War I, it was a trust territory and was under British colonial rule until independence in 1964. The uniqueness of Tanzanian coffee is that it is a combination of three different plantations in northern Tanzania. One plantation is located in the Kilimanjaro mountain range, which is Africa's highest peak and the largest independent foothill on Earth. Coffee grows between altitudes of 1,150 to 1,500 meters. In 1898, Bourbon variety coffee was introduced to Tanzania's Kilimanjaro region by Catholic missionaries. Then the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Currently, Tanzania has both Kent and Bourbon varieties. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Bourbon coffee fruits are short, round, with high density in pulp and seeds. Therefore, Bourbon coffee usually has high sweetness and bright acidity. This coffee's production is 20-30% higher than Typica, but it is still considered a low-yield variety because it is also susceptible to leaf rust disease. Tanzanian coffee beans also have a grading system, which is the same as Kenya's, graded by bean size, including AA, AB, PB, etc. FrontStreet Coffee Tanzania Kilimanjaro Country: Tanzania Region: Mount Kilimanjaro Altitude: 1300-2000m Variety: Bourbon Processing: Washed Processing Flavor: Citrus, berries, honey, tea-like According to FrontStreet Coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee is produced in the Mount Kilimanjaro region of northeastern Tanzania, Africa's highest mountain range. Its coffee quality is excellent, with rich aroma and prominent acidity, suitable for blending in comprehensive coffee. FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee is an important economic lifeline for Tanzania, with approximately 17% of foreign exchange created by coffee. Production is mainly concentrated around Mount Kilimanjaro in northeastern Arusha, which is the Kilimanjaro volcano, Africa's highest peak with perennial snow. FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee is one of the top representatives of Tanzania AA coffee beans, nurtured by volcanic ash, a variety created by nature, with unique cocoa fruit aroma in the coffee and strong, mellow characteristics.

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