Introduction to Major African Coffee Producing Countries - Best African Coffee Beans - How to Drink African Coffee Powder

Introduction to Major African Coffee Producing Countries

Yemen

Famous Representative Coffee: Mocha Mattari

Early Yemeni coffee was exported mainly through the port of Mocha, and before long every coffee shipped from there was simply called Mocha. Yemen's best-known coffees are Mattari and Sanani. Mattari tastes richer, with stronger fruit acidity and cocoa notes, while Sanani is more balanced in both taste and aroma. Yemeni beans belong to the Arabica species. Mocha beans are generally smaller than ordinary coffee beans and look quite different from other large beans. Small as they are, they carry distinctive character, especially their bright fruit acidity, which often acts as a flavor booster in blends. No wonder they are compared to red wine in coffee, with memorable aromas and acidity.

The name Mocha appears in several spellings — "Mocca," "Mocha," "Moka," "Mokha" and more — but they all mean the same thing. Mocha beans have a unique chocolate flavor that becomes especially apparent when dark roasted, which is why a flavored drink made with chocolate syrup is also called "Mocha coffee."

Ethiopia

Famous Representative Coffee: Harrar Mocha, Yirgacheffe

Ethiopia faces Yemen across the Red Sea and is the first place in the world where Arabica coffee trees were discovered. Coffee grows almost everywhere in the country. The eastern highlands of Harrar produce the famous Harrar Mocha, whose special wine-like aroma and acidity are comparable to Yemeni Mocha, making it a high-quality coffee. Sidamo and Djimmah in the south are also well-known producing regions. Their coffee tastes slightly different from Harrar's, with cleaner acidity and nut aromas. Within Sidamo lies a small area called Yirgacheffe, whose coffee is remarkably charming, with jasmine and lemon aromas and a special honey-like sweetness that has made it world-famous.

Why is Mocha a Yemeni port, yet Ethiopian coffee is also called Mocha? Because Ethiopian coffee was once exported through Yemen's Mocha port as well, so it too took the name, later distinguished by origin — Mocha Harrar, Mocha Djimmah and so on. The same Mocha coffee can therefore come from Yemen or from Ethiopia.

Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Famous Representative Coffee: None

Côte d'Ivoire is a West African country next to Guinea and Liberia. Its name is a French translation; a direct phonetic rendering would also be Côte d'Ivoire. Under French rule, coffee was planted on a massive scale along the coast, together with cocoa and palm, to drive exports. By the 1960s, production had grown enough to make Côte d'Ivoire the third-largest coffee exporter after Brazil and Colombia. In recent years, however, climate and economic pressures and declining output from aging coffee trees have meant its coffee no longer maintains its former glory.

Since Côte d'Ivoire is a major African coffee producer, why is Ivorian coffee so unfamiliar to us? Because almost all of it is Robusta, with only a few experimental Arabica lots. As noted earlier, Robusta's particular taste and character suit it mainly to blended instant or canned coffee; it is rarely drunk directly as single-origin specialty coffee, so it seldom appears among the producing countries we usually discuss.

Malawi

Famous Representative Coffee: Malawi

Malawi is a small, landlocked country in southeastern Africa with no coastline. Its coffee is grown mostly in the northern plateau region, though production is not large. Despite the lack of a coast, the map shows a very large lake to its northeast — Lake Malawi — which also forms the natural boundary separating Malawi from its neighbors. Compared with Kenya, Malawi's coffee has considerable sweetness and aroma but expresses less acidity, showing another style. If Kenya's acidity is a high note, Malawi's feels like a mid-to-low note.

All coffee grown in Malawi is Arabica, processed by the washed method. It is the country's ninth-largest export, accounting for only about 5% of total exports. What is unusual is that although export volumes are very limited, production and marketing are handled by local people through their own companies, which manage production, processing and sales rather than relying on government-led distribution as in Kenya. Under this independent model, Malawi's coffee quality has held up well, making it a coffee quite favored by traders.

Zimbabwe

Famous Representative Coffee: Zimbabwe

On the map, Zimbabwe sits in southern Africa, a landlocked country without a coast, bordering Mozambique to the right. Zimbabwe began growing coffee only in the early 20th century, mainly on the eastern plateau, all processed by the washed method. Its coffee is similar to Kenya's in its strong acidity and fruit aromas, but unlike Kenya it carries a pepper-like note. The best coffee comes from the Chipinge area.

Tanzania

Famous Representative Coffee: Kilimanjaro

Tanzania also lies in eastern Africa, just south of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean to the east with a coastline stretching 1500 kilometers. Coffee is not Tanzania's main crop and is mostly grown on a small scale; other major agricultural exports include corn and cotton. Coffee is planted mostly in the north near the volcanic slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, adjacent to Kenya. About 70% is Arabica, processed by the washed method, while the remaining 30%, Robusta, is processed by the natural method. Kilimanjaro coffee generally has strong acidity, though slightly weaker than Kenya's, with a taste similar to Kenya's — rich texture and a thick sweet aroma.

Kenya

Famous Representative Coffee: Kenya AA

Kenya lies in East Africa on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north and Tanzania to the south. Kenyan coffee is characterized by distinct fruit aroma and fruit acidity, a rich texture and a hint of wine aroma. It grows mainly in the southwestern and eastern plateau regions. All varieties are Arabica and all are washed. Common varieties include Bourbon, Typica, Kents and Riuri 11. When lightly roasted, Kenya's bright fruit aroma and acidity are described by some as fruit tea, which shows how distinctive the flavor is. Among them, the famous Kenya AA has full-bodied beans and a rich, intense taste, and is well regarded worldwide.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Of the African origins above, Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe is the easiest to love and the clearest introduction to the continent's character. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic starting point, with white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a clean tea note. FrontStreet Gedingding Cooperative comes from the Gedingding village in Woka, at Yirgacheffe's southeastern edge, and keeps the traditional washed method, showing citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance and no bitterness. Brew either on a V60 with 15g of coffee at 90-91°C and a 1:15 ratio; the grind is an EK43s setting of 10, a fine-sugar consistency with about 80% through a #20 sieve. Bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, pour to about 125g over a minute, then finish at about 225g with a total drawdown of 2:00-2:10.