Are There Robusta Varieties in Tanzanian Coffee? Kilimanjaro Coffee Characteristics: A Gift from the Volcano

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Tanzanian Coffee

After Tanzania gained independence in 1961, the government focused on the coffee industry, attempting to double coffee production by 1970; however, this plan was not realized. After experiencing slow industrial development, high inflation, and economic depression, Tanzania became a multi-party democratic state.

In the early to mid-1990s, the coffee industry underwent a series of reforms. Coffee producers were allowed to sell more directly to buyers rather than all through the national coffee marketing board. The coffee industry suffered a severe blow in the late 1990s when coffee wilt disease spread throughout the country, significantly reducing the number of coffee trees in the northern region near the Ugandan border. Today, Tanzania's coffee production consists of 70% Arabica and 30% Robusta.

First, the Arabica varieties include not only the main Bourbon and Kent varieties but also Typica, Blue Mountain, and Arusha. Second, there is also Robusta.

90% of Tanzania's coffee comes from 450,000 small farmers, while the other 10% comes from larger estates. It is possible to trace coffee back to farmers' cooperative societies and wet mills; for estate coffee, the source single coffee plantation can be identified. In recent years, the high-quality coffees I have tasted all came from estates, and I would suggest starting with these types of coffee when searching.

The coffee harvest season in the Kilimanjaro region extends from October to February of the following year. Approximately 1 million people live on the coffee-growing slopes of the mountain in this region, and coffee cultivation is the sole source of income for many of them. Recently, climate change and temperature variations have led to coffee leaf rust (Roya), which has become the biggest threat to Kilimanjaro coffee beans.

Kilimanjaro coffee is grown on the volcanic slopes of the highest peak in northeastern Tanzania on the African continent, exhibiting distinctive flavors with balanced body and bright acidity, making it one of Africa's most refined coffee varieties.

Knowledge Point

Tanzania is located in eastern Africa, south of the equator. It borders Kenya and Uganda to the north, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and faces the Indian Ocean to the east.

In Brief

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