Which regions in Africa produce coffee? How to brew African coffee to make it delicious? Famous African coffee-producing countries

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Which regions in Africa produce coffee? How to brew African coffee for the best taste? Which African countries are famous for coffee production?

Africa, as the birthplace of coffee, naturally has many coffee-producing countries. Countries such as Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Ethiopia all produce coffee.

Yemen

Famous representative coffee: Mocha Mattari

Early Yemeni coffee was mainly exported through the port of Mocha, so later all coffee exported from here was named Mocha. Among Yemeni coffees, Mattari and Sanani are the most famous. Mattari tastes richer, with stronger fruit acidity and cocoa flavor, while Sanani has a more balanced taste and aroma. The coffee beans produced in Yemen are of the Arabica variety. Generally, Mocha beans are smaller in size than average coffee beans and look quite different from other large coffee beans. However, although small, they contain distinctive characteristics, especially the bright fruit acidity that often serves as a flavor-enhancing role in blended coffees. No wonder it's compared to red wine in coffee, with its aroma and acidity being particularly memorable. The name Mocha has several spellings: "Mocca," "Mocha," "Moka," "Mokha"... etc., but they all represent the same meaning. Mocha coffee beans have a unique chocolate flavor that becomes especially apparent when dark roasted, which is why a flavored coffee with chocolate syrup is also named "Mocha Coffee."

Ethiopia

Famous representative coffee: Mocha Harra, Yirgacheffe

Ethiopia faces Yemen across the Red Sea and is the place where Arabica coffee trees were first discovered. Coffee is planted almost everywhere in the country. The eastern highlands of Harra produce the famous Harra Mocha, which has a special wine-like aroma and acidity, comparable to Yemeni Mocha and considered high-quality coffee. The southern regions of Sidamo and Djimmah are also well-known coffee-producing areas, where the coffee produced has a slightly different taste from Harra's, with fresher acidity and nutty aromas. Within Sidamo, there is a small region called Yirgacheffe, where the coffee produced has very charming characteristics, with jasmine and lemon aromas, as well as a special sweet taste like honey, making it globally famous. Why is Mocha Port in Yemen, but Ethiopian coffee is also called Mocha? This is because Ethiopian coffee was also exported from Yemen's Mocha Port, so it was also named Mocha, and then subdivided by different place names, such as Mocha Harra, Mocha Djimmah, etc. So the same Mocha coffee could come from Yemen or Ethiopia.

Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Famous representative coffee: None

Côte d'Ivoire is a country in West Africa, next to Guinea and Liberia. Côte d'Ivoire is a name translated from French meaning "Ivory Coast." Under French rule in those years, to stimulate exports, coffee, along with cocoa and palm, was extensively planted in coastal areas. By the 1960s, coffee production had increased to make Côte d'Ivoire the third-largest coffee-exporting country, after Brazil and Colombia. However, in recent years, due to climate, economic issues, and reduced production from aging coffee trees, its coffee production is no longer what it used to be. Since Côte d'Ivoire is also a major coffee-producing country in Africa, why aren't we very familiar with Côte d'Ivoire's coffee? This is because Côte d'Ivoire's coffee is almost entirely of the Robusta variety, with only a small amount of experimental Arabica coffee. As mentioned earlier, Robusta coffee, due to its special taste and characteristics, is mostly used for blending instant coffee or canned coffee, and rarely consumed directly as specialty coffee in single-origin form, so it doesn't often appear among the coffee-producing countries we commonly mention.

Kenya

Famous representative coffee: Kenya AA

Kenya is located in East Africa, exactly 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 fruity aroma and fruit acidity, with a hint of wine-like aroma in its rich taste. Kenyan coffee is mostly grown in the southwestern and eastern plateau regions, all of Arabica variety and all washed. Common varieties include Bourbon, Typica, Kents, and Riuri 11. When lightly roasted, Kenyan coffee's bright fruit aroma and acidity are described by some as being like fruit tea, showing its unique flavor. The famous Kenya AA beans are full-bodied with rich, intense taste and are highly praised worldwide.

Tanzania

Famous representative coffee: Kilimanjaro

Tanzania is also located in eastern Africa, just south of Kenya, bordering the Indian Ocean to the east, with a coastline stretching 1,500 kilometers. Coffee is not the most important agriculture in Tanzania, mostly small-scale operations, with other major agricultural exports including corn and cotton. Coffee is mostly grown on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania near Kenya, about 70% is Arabica variety, processed by washing method, while the remaining 30% is Robusta variety, processed by natural method. The Kilimanjaro coffee produced here generally has strong acidity, though slightly weaker than Kenya's, with a taste similar to Kenya's - rich texture with thick sweet aroma.

Zimbabwe

Famous representative coffee: Zimbabwe

As can be seen from the map on the left, Zimbabwe is located in southern Africa, an inland country not bordering the sea, with Mozambique to its right. Zimbabwe only started growing coffee in the early 20th century, mainly planted in the eastern plateau regions, all processed by washing method. Zimbabwean coffee is characterized by strong acidity and fruity aroma similar to Kenya, but unlike Kenya, it has a pepper-like taste. The best coffee comes from the Chipinge region.

Malawi

Famous representative coffee: Malawi

Malawi is a small country in southeastern Africa, also an inland country not bordering the sea. Its coffee is mostly grown in the northern plateau regions, but production is not large. Although not bordering the sea, as can be seen from the map, there is a very large lake to its northeast - Lake Malawi, which is also the natural boundary between Malawi and neighboring countries. Compared to Kenya, Malawi's coffee also has considerable sweetness and aroma, but its acidity表现 is lower and in a different style. If Kenya's acidity is compared to high notes, Malawi's acidity feels like mid to low notes. The coffee grown in Malawi is all Arabica variety, processed by washing method, and is the country's ninth-largest export product, accounting for only about 5% of total exports. However, what's special is that although export quantities are limited, its coffee production and marketing are handled by local people who form their own production and marketing companies responsible for production, processing, and sales operations, rather than being government-led like Kenya's coffee distribution operations. Under this independent operation model, Malawi's coffee quality has maintained a considerable level, making it one of the coffees quite favored by traders.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water temperature: 89-90°C

Grind size: Fuji Mini R 3.5

Brewing method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee, first pour 25g water, bloom for 25s, second pour to 120g water, stop pouring, wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then slowly pour until reaching 225g water, extraction time around 2:00

Analysis: Using three-stage brewing to clearly distinguish the flavors of the front, middle, and back sections of the coffee. Because V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, stopping the pour can extend the extraction time.

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