Do You Know Which African Countries Produce Coffee? An Introduction to Kenyan Coffee Origins

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Kenya Coffee Regions

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African coffee offers incredibly diverse flavors, with perhaps the widest flavor spectrum in the world. Different types of coffee not only have their own unique characteristics but also feature easily distinguishable flavor profiles. Among these, Kenyan coffee belongs to the world-renowned category, deeply loved by coffee enthusiasts.

Kenya produces some of the world's most aromatic and distinctly acidic coffee. While flavors vary subtly between different regions, they are mostly characterized by a combination of unique fruit and berry notes, citrus acidity, and rich, juicy mouthfeel. There are only about 330 coffee farms in Kenya larger than 15 hectares, with over half being small-scale operations, each occupying just a few hectares. These small farmers consolidate into several farms belonging to different company groups, with each growing region receiving coffee cherries from hundreds of small farmers.

Kenya is a tropical growing region with two rainy seasons annually, allowing for two harvests: 60% concentrated from October to December, and the remaining 40% from June to August. Coffee is primarily grown in volcanic soils at altitudes of 1600-2100 meters around the capital Nairobi to the Kenyan mountain region. This altitude is ideal for flavor development in coffee beans, as the mountainous temperatures are lower, slowing growth and allowing full development of aromatic compounds. This results in more pronounced fruit acidity and harder bean density.

Kenya's coffee regions are most famous for seven main areas: Thika, Kirinyaga, Mt. Kenya West, Nyeri, Kiambu, Ruiri, and Muranga.

The Kenyan washed processing method uses a cyclic repeated fermentation and washing process. The highest quality coffee cherries are selected on harvest day for pulping and fermentation, which lasts 24 hours. After 24 hours, they are washed with clean river water. Then, they undergo another 24-hour fermentation in clean river water, followed by washing again. This process repeats for 3 cycles, totaling 72 hours, hence known as the Kenyan 72-hour fermentation washed processing method, or K72 for short. This processing method allows coffee beans to ferment for extended periods at low temperatures, resulting in brighter, cleaner yet fuller flavors!

Knowledge Bonus: Kenya is located in East Africa, precisely on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, and Tanzania to the south. It is a major coffee power in East Africa and one of the most important and irreplaceable producing countries.

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