African Coffee Growing Regions: Characteristics That Defy Expectations - Kenya's Coffee Origins Cannot Be Underestimated

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Kenyan Coffee

Kenya's main coffee growing regions are all centered around the country's highest peak - Mount Kenya, which is Africa's second-highest mountain after Kilimanjaro. Many plantations enjoy excellent altitude, and the significant day-night temperature differences at high elevations help extend the coffee maturation cycle, concentrating flavor compounds. The coffee beans in these regions are grown at an altitude of 1800m. Kenyan coffee is highly distinctive, known for its vibrant and complex berry and fruit flavors, accompanied by sweet notes and dense acidity.

Bean Varieties

Kenyans place great importance on coffee science, and many farmers possess highly professional production knowledge, as exemplified by the SL-28 and SL-34 varieties we've selected (both belonging to the Arabica species). These two coffee varieties, named with code numbers, come from the "Scott" Laboratory (SL being the laboratory abbreviation). The laboratory was employed by the Kenyan government starting in the 1930s, and these two varieties are among the 40 varieties obtained through their program. They account for the majority of Kenya's high-quality coffee and are widely cultivated in all major growing regions.

Grading

Grading is extremely important for agricultural products, as it provides a basis for pricing different quality levels according to unified standards. This requires public authorities to invest effort in establishing and implementing these standards. Kenya's grading principle is based on bean size. Common specialty coffee grades on the market include AA (size larger than 18 mesh or 7.22 mm), AB (A: 16 mesh or 6.80 mm combined with B: 15 mesh or 6.20 mm), and PB (Peaberry, referring to coffee fruits that develop only one seed). This batch's beans are of AA grade.

Production and Sales History

Product traceability is another important measure of standardized agricultural product management. In Kenya, coffee is grown by large estates or small-scale farmers. The product history of large estates is relatively easy to trace, but who ensures the quality of small farmers' coffee? Coffee processing plants play this crucial role. Since coffee processing is labor-intensive and energy-consuming, small farmers typically lack processing capabilities. They bring their raw beans to processing plants for unified treatment. The processed beans are then sorted by different processing methods and grades before entering the auction market in the capital Nairobi for competitive bidding.

In Brief

FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research specialty shop, happy to share coffee knowledge with everyone. Our unreserved sharing is purely to help more friends fall in love with coffee. Additionally, we hold three low-discount coffee events every month because FrontStreet Coffee wants to let more friends enjoy the best coffee at the lowest possible price. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past six years!

Important Notice :

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