Is Coffee from the Muungano Cooperative in Congo's Kivu Region Delicious? How to Brew Congolese Coffee?

Professional Coffee Knowledge Exchange

For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Is the Coffee from Muungano Cooperative in Congo's Kivu Region Good? How to Brew Congo Coffee?

In Swahili, "Muungano" means 'unity,' guiding the farmers primarily involved in the Muungano Coffee Cooperative. These are the Batembo and Rwanda-origin people from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, divided by war. Through cooperation, they have joined hands once again to create better prospects for their families. From 350 founding members in 2009, the cooperative has grown to over 4,000 members by 2014. Muungano's farmers are dedicated to producing high-quality specialty washed Arabica coffee. They invest in coffee nurseries and establish community-level washing stations, planting new seedlings and strictly harvesting coffee from renewed land. Muungano has extensively accepted cupping training to learn the skills and universal language of the professional coffee market, opening two new washing stations in 2014.

Farmers tend to naturally use homemade compost and mulch. Since coffee is interspersed throughout villages and homes, they consider this important for people's health as well as the environment. Measures are taken to combat the danger of landslides during heavy rains, including planting trees with deep roots to strengthen soil structure.

The Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo is located in central Africa, with the equator crossing through its north-central region. The local forest coverage rate is approximately 58.7%, making it the world's seventh-largest tropical forest. Agricultural products are also abundant, mostly consisting of tropical crops.

The national territory encompasses the vast majority of the Congo Basin, with the depression in the center of the basin having an altitude of approximately 300 meters, suitable for the cultivation of Robusta coffee. The easternmost part is the edge of the African Rift Valley, where volcanic activity is frequent. This area is adjacent to Lake Kivu, with an altitude of approximately 1,460 meters. The coffee beans from Congo's Kivu region are named after this Kivu Lake, which borders Rwanda.

Kivu is bordered by Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi to the west, while Lake Tanganyika lies to the east. The tropical highlands surrounding Kivu Lake enjoy an average annual temperature of about 19°C, with a humid climate and fertile land, similar to the geographical environment of neighboring outstanding Arabica coffee-producing countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

Once, the coffee performance in this region was even comparable to that of Kenya. During the Belgian colonial era in the early 20th century, many coffee plantations were established locally. However, due to inconvenient transportation, unstable domestic political and economic factors (including direct intervention by neighboring regimes and support from neighboring countries for armed groups leading to continuous civil wars), the local agricultural production and marketing were severely affected. Therefore, despite being nurtured by the same Kivu Lake, the coffee industry has not developed as prosperously as in neighboring countries.

In February 2010, Congo joined the Eastern Africa Fine Coffee Association, becoming the 11th member of the organization, with the hope of further improving its coffee quality and export volume. In the 21st century, the local coffee industry is undergoing another wave of revival.

Coffee Profile and Details

Flavor: Grass aroma, citrus fruit sweetness, chocolate, malt syrup

Region: Kivu Lake

Producer: Muungano Cooperative

Processing Method: Traditional washed processing

Grade: SC16/18

Variety: Original Bourbon

Altitude: 1,300 to 1,460 meters

Flavor Description: Grassy aroma, apple acidity, citrus fruit sweetness, chocolate, malt syrup, with a finish of brown sugar and chocolate aroma. Clean, smooth, and full-bodied African coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 88°C

Grind Size: Fuji Royal grind setting 4

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water, let bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour up to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time approximately 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly define the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can help extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473