What is African Coffee? How to Brew African Coffee for the Best Taste? Characteristics of African Coffee

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African Coffee Production Overview

The vast majority of coffee-producing countries are located in the Coffee Belt (Editor's note: the latitude suitable for growing coffee beans, which forms a belt-like region), with approximately 60 countries currently involved.

Africa, particularly East Africa, produces some of the world's most distinctive coffees, characterized by vivid floral, fruity, and wine-like notes with rich acidity. In summary, African coffee beans are incredibly flavorful!

Ethiopia

Ethiopia and Kenya are not only sources of the world's most distinctive coffees but also among the finest globally. Among all coffee-producing nations, Ethiopia is perhaps the most remarkable. Its charm stems not only from the unusual and surprising coffees it produces but also from the mystique surrounding it.

Ethiopia has long been regarded as the birthplace of coffee. Understanding the local coffee processing methods reveals why this royal status is well-deserved. Even under the harshest production conditions, where coffee trees are shaded by other crops, most farmers persist in avoiding agricultural chemicals. Only in some coffee industries operated by the government in the southwestern part of the country might small amounts of agricultural chemicals appear in wet-processed coffee. However, Harar and Yirgacheffe, marketed as "garden coffee," remain exceptions, as coffee is still produced in small quantities by individual farmers using traditional methods.

Ethiopia, a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa, is the world's most populous landlocked nation. Ethiopia is honored as the birthplace of Coffea Arabica, possessing rich native varieties and extensive genetic sequences, many of which cannot be found in other countries. Most Ethiopian coffee is grown by small farmers in their small estates or in wild and semi-wild environments, with nearly 15 million people nationwide involved in the coffee cultivation and processing industry. As the birthplace of Arabica coffee varieties, its history of coffee consumption dates back to the 10th century, when the first African nomadic peoples to consume coffee fruits (coffee cherries) mixed coffee beans with oils and spices to create energizing and stamina-boosting foods. Most Ethiopian coffee farmers still grow and harvest coffee entirely by hand, working with the local government's "Coffee and Tea Development Department" to improve and manage all produced coffee beans.

Ethiopia has seven major producing regions, with the most famous being Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. FrontStreet Coffee suggests using 89-90°C to extract natural-processed Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, while washed Yirgacheffe can be extracted using 91-92°C water temperature.

Kenya

Kenya produces high-quality Arabica coffee, renowned globally for its unique and refined flavor profile. The favorable climatic conditions of the Kenyan highlands make it easy for the country to produce some of the world's finest coffee beans.

Kenyan coffee is famous in both Europe and the United States. The coffee beans exhibit distinct fruit-like acidity combined with full body and intense aroma. Coffee is cultivated at the foot of Mount Kenya, typically by small-scale farmers. Kenyan producers emphasize quality, so processing and drying procedures are strictly controlled and monitored. Kenya has its unique grading system. Kenyan AA represents the largest beans in the 10-grade classification system, while AA+ indicates estate-grown coffee.

Kenyan Arabica is grown in rich volcanic soil found at high altitudes of 1,400 to 2,000 meters. The altitude affects the taste, and it can be said that Kenyan coffee is not suitable for those who are adverse to acidity.

Kenya offers some of the world's most aromatic acidic coffees. The flavor profile is complex and can feature interesting fruit notes, berries and citrus flavors, with some almost wine-like. Kenyan coffee definitely falls into two main categories: large and bold, clean and juicy or tropical and crisp. Compared to Ethiopian coffee, Kenyan coffee is brighter with higher acidity. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends extraction using higher water temperatures, around 91-92°C, with extraction time between 2 minutes 10 seconds to 2 minutes 20 seconds, resulting in bright cherry tomato acidity and sweetness reminiscent of sugarcane and honey.

Kenya has only about 330 farms that are 15 hectares or larger estates. More than half of coffee producers are small farmers, each with only a few hectares of land. Kenya cultivates Arabica coffee, particularly SL28, SL34, French Mission Bourbon, and Ruiru varieties.

Burundi

The Burundi coffee-producing region, located in the landlocked country of Burundi in Africa, bears the title "Heart of Africa." This area is primarily agricultural, with coffee being the most significant crop. The coffee industry here, without exaggeration, has saved the lives and livelihoods of many people. Burundi's coffee beans are mainly Bourbon varieties, grown in high-altitude regions of 1,700-2,000 meters. Kayanza, Mutumba, and Ngozi are their main coffee-growing areas, mostly cultivated by small farmers who then send their harvest to large wet-processing mills. FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing at 89-91°C, yielding distinct blackberry and citrus flavors.

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