What Coffee Growing Regions Does Tanzania Have? Introduction to Tanzanian Coffee Bean Flavor Characteristics and Stories

When it comes to African coffee, everyone's first reaction is surely that Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees are delicious, but Tanzania's coffee is rarely mentioned. So, are Tanzania's coffee beans good? According to FrontStreet Coffee, Tanzania's coffee bean grading system is the same as Kenya's - both are graded by coffee bean size, with the highest grade being AA. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee has also introduced Tanzania AA grade coffee beans. In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will share with you the flavor characteristics and story of this Tanzania AA coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee: Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA Coffee Beans

Country: Tanzania
Region: Northern Highlands, Kilimanjaro Volcano Region
Altitude: 1300-2000m
Variety: Bourbon
Grade: AA
Processing: Washed
Flavor: Citrus, berries, honey, tea-like sensation

As mentioned above, these coffee beans come from the Kilimanjaro volcano region. Everyone knows that coffee is an agricultural crop, and its flavor is inseparable from growing conditions in the producing region. Geographical factors such as altitude, climate, and soil can all cause changes in coffee bean flavor. Additionally, coffee varieties and processing methods also affect the flavor of coffee beans. Next, FrontStreet Coffee will use these three major factors to explain how the flavor characteristics of this Tanzania coffee bean are formed.

Tanzania Coffee Bean Growing Conditions

Tanzania is relatively close to Ethiopia and adjacent to Kenya, so some of Tanzania's population has a long history and cultural connection with coffee. However, commercial coffee cultivation in Tanzania didn't begin until the early 20th century when German colonists 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 Tanzania coffee beans are not as famous as Kenyan beans, its annual production is nearly equal to Kenya's, reaching 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. Other varieties were gradually introduced from neighboring Burundi in the 1950s and planted in western Tanzania. Currently, they are mainly grown in high-altitude regions 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 lifeline of Tanzania's economy.

Tanzania Coffee Bean Varieties

As mentioned above, this Kilimanjaro coffee bean variety is Bourbon, 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, until now, Tanzania coffee beans are mainly Bourbon and Kent. So what are the flavor characteristics of Bourbon coffee beans?

Bourbon Coffee Beans:

The Bourbon variety coffee bean is an old variety, like Typica and other variety beans, all belonging to the Arabica coffee species. Bourbon coffee was originally cultivated in Réunion, which was called "Île Bourbon" 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 more dense than Typica, while production is 30% higher than Typica coffee. The beans are relatively round and short, with rich berry acidity, noticeable cream and fragrance, strong acidic aroma, and obvious fruit acidity, but the same problem is poor disease resistance.

To put it simply, Bourbon is a coffee tree species 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.

Tanzania Coffee Bean Processing Method

As mentioned above, these coffee beans use the washed processing method. At the same time, according to FrontStreet Coffee, washed processing is also the most commonly used coffee bean processing method by Tanzanian coffee farmers. The biggest characteristic of the washed processing method is that it can make the original flavor of coffee beans fresher and brighter, and the taste is also very clean.

Steps of the Washed Processing Method:

1. Screen and remove impurities mixed in the coffee fruits.
2. Remove the coffee pulp and outer skin.
3. Send to fermentation tanks, ferment for 18-36 hours to remove the mucilage layer attached to the inner pericarp.
4. After cleaning, proceed with drying.

Tanzania Coffee Grading

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

AA Grade: Particle size (Screen Size) between 17-18 mesh (7.20mm screen)
AB Grade: Particle size (Screen Size) between 15-16 mesh (6.8mm~6.2mm screen)
PB Grade: Round raw beans, accounting for about 10% of all coffee beans
C Grade: Particle size (Screen Size) between 12-14 mesh (4.8mm~5.6mm screen)

For example, this Tanzania coffee bean introduced by FrontStreet Coffee is AA grade, which is the highest grade coffee bean in the country. So how is its pour-over flavor? In the following, FrontStreet Coffee will share the pour-over parameters and flavor of this coffee bean.

FrontStreet Coffee's Pour-Over Recommendations for Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Beans

Frontsteet recommends using a V60 conical filter. The V60 has a larger opening, and its unique spiral rib design allows air to be more easily discharged, thereby improving extraction quality. The body may not be rich enough, but its high concentration brings out the sweet and sour taste of Kilimanjaro with obvious aroma, which is its major characteristic.

Water Temperature: 90-91°C
Grind Size: Fine sugar size / 20# screen sieve 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 stream to circle to 125g and stop. Wait for the water level to drop, then slowly pour again with even speed, keeping the water level not too high. Pour again to 225g and stop. Extraction time: 2 minutes 3 seconds (including bloom time).

Brewing Flavor: Berry aroma, soft citrus acidity at entry, nuts in the middle, honey-like aftertaste.

The above is what FrontStreet Coffee has compiled about the flavor characteristics and story of Tanzania AA coffee beans. We also hope this article can help coffee lovers better understand Tanzania-related coffee content, so they can choose coffee beans suitable for 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.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473