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Does Kenya Have Brazilian Origins? The Cultivation Sources of Kenyan Coffee

Published: 2026-07-29 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/07/29, Professional coffee knowledge sharing. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat ID: cafe_style). Introduction to FrontStreet Coffee's Kenyan coffee. Kenya borders Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee trees, but it wasn't until the early 20th century that coffee cultivation began. In the 19th century, missionaries introduced Arabica trees from Yemen, but they were not widely planted until 1893

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style).

FrontStreet Coffee's Introduction to Kenyan Coffee

Kenya borders Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica coffee trees to the north, but it was not until the early 20th century that coffee cultivation began. In the 19th century, missionaries introduced Arabica trees from Yemen, but they were not widely cultivated. It wasn't until 1893 that the ancient "Bourbon" coffee seeds from Brazil were introduced, leading to large-scale coffee cultivation. This means that current Kenyan coffee has Brazilian heritage. However, due to differences in soil, climate, and processing methods, Kenyan beans have completely different flavor profiles from Brazilian beans.

The Origin of Kenyan Coffee

Coffee entered Kenya in the 19th century, when Ethiopian coffee beverages were imported to Kenya via South Yemen. However, it was not until the early 20th century that Bourbon coffee trees were introduced by the St. Austin Mission. Kenyan coffee mostly grows at altitudes between 1,500-2,100 meters, with two harvests per year. To ensure only mature berries are picked, people must patrol through the forests approximately seven times. Kenyan coffee is grown by small farmers who, after harvesting, first send fresh coffee beans to cooperative washing stations. The washing stations then send the washed and dried coffee in "parchment coffee" state (coffee beans covered with the inner fruit skin) to cooperatives ("parchment coffee" is the final state before coffee beans are hulled). All coffee is collected together, and growers receive average prices based on their actual quality.

FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou China, selling freshly roasted beans from its own farm in Yunnan as well as dozens of carefully selected single-origin beans from around the world for both pour-over and espresso. The products deliver consistently excellent quality and great value, with shipping within 24 hours. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers, and the beans are now available online at the Tmall 。