Tanzania AA Coffee Bean Flavor Characteristics and Story - How Much is a Cup of Tanzania AA Coffee

When it comes to African coffee, everyone's first reaction is undoubtedly that Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees are excellent, but Tanzanian coffee is rarely mentioned. So, are Tanzanian coffee beans good? According to FrontStreet Coffee, Tanzanian coffee beans are graded by size, just like Kenyan coffee, with the highest grade being AA. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced Tanzanian AA grade coffee beans. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will introduce the flavor characteristics and story of this Tanzanian AA coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee: Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA Coffee Beans

Country: Tanzania

Region: Northern Highlands, Kilimanjaro Volcanic Region

Altitude: 1300-2000m

Variety: Bourbon

Grade: AA

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor: Citrus, berries, honey, tea-like

As mentioned above, this coffee bean comes from the Kilimanjaro volcanic region. Everyone knows that coffee is an agricultural product, and its flavor is inseparable from growing conditions such as altitude, climate, and soil. These geographical factors all affect the flavor of coffee beans. In addition, coffee varieties and processing methods also influence the flavor. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will explain how the flavor characteristics of this Tanzanian coffee bean are formed based on these three major factors.

Tanzanian Coffee Bean Growing Conditions

Tanzania is close to Ethiopia and borders Kenya, so some of Tanzania's population has a long historical and cultural connection with coffee. However, commercial coffee cultivation in Tanzania did not begin until the early 20th century when German colonizers required local farmers to grow Arabica coffee as a cash crop, promoting this plant throughout Tanzania and developing industry near Mount Kilimanjaro.

According to FrontStreet Coffee, although Tanzanian coffee beans are not as famous as Kenyan beans, its annual production is nearly equal to Kenya's at 50,000 tons. The earliest Arabica seeds were introduced from the French island of Réunion and planted in the Bayamoyo and Mogoro regions. In 1893, beans planted on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro became the most successful coffee beans, and other varieties were gradually introduced from neighboring Burundi in the 1950s and planted in western Tanzania. Currently, they are mainly grown in high-altitude areas accounting for 75%, while local wild coffee continues to appear.

So what are the characteristics of the Kilimanjaro coffee region?

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the African continent. Coffee beans grown in this region are mostly planted on slopes between 1300-2000m. The mountain has rich volcanic soil, which is very suitable for growing high-quality Arabica coffee beans. At the same time, Kilimanjaro is Tanzania's largest coffee-producing region, and Kilimanjaro coffee is also an important economic lifeline for Tanzania.

Tanzanian Coffee Bean Varieties

As mentioned above, this Kilimanjaro coffee bean is of the Bourbon variety, which is also the most widely planted coffee variety in Tanzania. According to FrontStreet Coffee, Bourbon coffee beans were introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania by Catholic missionaries in 1898. Then the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Therefore, to this day, Tanzanian coffee beans are mainly Bourbon and Kent. So what are the flavor characteristics of Bourbon coffee beans?

Bourbon Coffee Beans:

Bourbon variety coffee beans, like Typica and other variety coffee beans, are old varieties belonging to the Arabica coffee species. Bourbon coffee was initially planted on Réunion Island, which was called Bourbon Island before 1789, hence the coffee variety was named "Bourbon."

Although both are old coffee bean varieties, FrontStreet Coffee observes that the difference between Bourbon and Typica varieties is that Bourbon leaves are wider and denser than Typica, while yielding 30% more than Typica coffee. The beans are relatively round and short, with thick berry acidity, noticeable cream and aroma, strong acidic fragrance, and prominent fruit acidity. However, the same problem is poor disease resistance.

To put it simply, Bourbon is a coffee tree variety belonging to a branch of the Arabica species, generally bearing red fruits called Red Bourbon. In addition, there are also Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon.

Tanzanian Coffee Bean Processing Method

As mentioned above, this coffee bean uses the washed processing method. According to FrontStreet Coffee, washed processing is also the most commonly used coffee bean processing method by Tanzanian coffee farmers. The biggest characteristic of washed processing is that it makes the original flavor of coffee beans fresher and brighter, with a very clean taste.

Washed Processing Steps:

1. Screen and remove impurities mixed in the coffee fruits.

2. Remove the coffee pulp and outer skin.

3. Send to fermentation tanks and ferment for 18-36 hours to remove the mucilage layer adhering to the inner parchment.

4. Clean thoroughly and then proceed with drying.

Tanzanian Coffee Grading

As mentioned above by FrontStreet Coffee, Tanzania's coffee grading method is the same as Kenya's, both grading by coffee bean size. During screening, raw coffee beans are passed through sieves with fixed-size holes. The larger the sieve number, the larger the raw coffee bean particles.

AA Grade: Screen size between 17-18 (7.20mm sieve)

AB Grade: Screen size between 15-16 (6.8mm-6.2mm sieve)

PB Grade: Round raw beans, accounting for about 10% of all coffee beans

C Grade: Screen size between 12-14 (4.8mm-5.6mm sieve)

The Tanzanian coffee beans introduced by FrontStreet Coffee are AA grade, which is the highest grade coffee bean in the country. So how is its pour-over flavor? Next, FrontStreet Coffee will share the pour-over parameters and flavor of this coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Bean Pour-Over Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a V60 conical filter cup. The V60 has a large opening, and its unique spiral rib design allows air to be discharged more easily, thereby improving extraction quality. The body might not be as full, but its high concentration brings out the sweet and sour flavors and distinct aroma of Kilimanjaro, which is its major characteristic.

Water Temperature: 90-91°C

Grind Size: Fine sugar size / 20# sieve screen to 80%

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Coffee Amount: 15 grams

Brewing Method:

Segmented extraction.

First, bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds. For the second pour, use a small water flow in circular motion to 125g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop, then slowly pour water again with even speed, keeping the water level not too high, and stop when reaching 225g. Extraction time is 2 minutes 3 seconds (including bloom time).

Brewing Flavor:

Berry aroma, gentle citrus acidity on entry, nuts in the middle section, honey-like aftertaste.

The above is what FrontStreet Coffee has compiled about the flavor characteristics and story of Tanzanian AA coffee beans. We hope this article helps coffee lovers better understand Tanzanian coffee-related content, so they can choose coffee beans that suit their taste in the future.

So how much does a cup of Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA coffee cost? According to FrontStreet Coffee's pricing, a cup of Tanzania Kilimanjaro pour-over coffee costs 30 yuan per cup. We hope this price can provide some reference for coffee lovers.

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

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473