Heart of Africa Premium Burundi Coffee - Introduction

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FrontStreet Coffee - Burundi: Heart of Africa

Burundi, the heart of Africa.

According to World Bank statistics from 2011, approximately 600,000-800,000 families in Burundi depend on coffee for their livelihood. Coffee is the core of Burundi's economy.

Burundi is a beautiful landlocked country located on the steep terrain of the East African Rift Valley. With complex topography, the magnificent mountain ridges that rise suddenly from the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika form the watershed between Africa's two major river systems: the Nile and the Congo. It has earned the beautiful nickname "Heart of Africa." Through Belgian introduction, Burundi began growing coffee in 1930. The varieties are mostly Bourbon series, similar to neighboring Rwanda. Coffee grows at high altitudes between 1750 to 2000 meters.

The first Arabica coffee trees in Burundi were introduced by Belgians in the 1930s. Today, more than 800,000 Burundian families rely on coffee cultivation for their livelihood. Most are small-scale coffee farms, intercropped with other crops, manually cultivated without mechanical equipment. Coffee tree varieties are mostly Bourbon and Bourbon-related varieties like Jackson and Mibirigy. Processing methods include both washed and semi-washed. Historically, most exports went to Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, and the United States.

Coffee export has become an important economic source for Burundi. Burundi's coffee mainly comes from the following five major producing regions, with famous coffee-producing areas including Kayanza, Ngozi, Mumirwa, Buyenzi, and Kirimiro. Burundi's coffee production model is closer to Ethiopia's, with mostly small-scale farmers. Farmers from the Nyarunasi Cooperative deliver their harvested ripe berries to processing facilities for unified processing.

Although there are other small producing regions, the coffee from these areas is the most renowned.

Buyenzi

The largest coffee-producing region in the country, bordering Rwanda. Two specific areas, Kayanza and Ngozi, are the most famous.

The Kayanza region has an extremely mild climate with an average temperature of 18°C. Most small farms are located between 1700-2000 meters, with dry summers. In the 2015 Cup of Excellence competition, coffee from Kayanza achieved a high score of 91.09.

Ngozi is located in northeastern Burundi, with similar altitude to Kayanza. Although its production is less than Kayanza, it has shown impressive quality potential in recent years. In the 2015 Cup of Excellence competition, its best batch achieved a high score of 88.92, with other batches from this region also scoring above 85.

Coffee from Kayanza during natural drying.

Kirundo, Bugesera

Northeastern Burundi, with relatively low production but good development potential. Altitude is approximately between 1400-1700 meters. The best COE score from this region is 86.62 points.

Muyinga, Bweru

Another producing region in northeastern Burundi, bordering Tanzania. Average altitude is 1800 meters, with typical Burundian characteristics: mild climate, volcanic soil, and high rainfall.

Gitega, Kirimiro

Located in the central mountainous region of Burundi, with average temperatures between 12-18°C. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100mm, lower than other producing regions.

In addition to COE award-winning coffees, this region also has a professional coffee laboratory specializing in export coffee quality control.

Bubanza, Mumirwa

Located in northern Burundi, bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Altitude ranges from 1100-2000 meters, with average temperatures between 12-18°C. Annual rainfall is approximately 1,100mm.

Processing Methods

The production model of coffee in the Rutana region is similar to Ethiopia's, with mostly small-scale farmers who deliver their harvested ripe berries to processing facilities for unified processing. This batch from the Rutana region comes from a cooperative formed by family-like small coffee farmers, consisting of 539 small coffee farming families, of which 148 are women. Each family plants 10-200 coffee trees on average (at least 1000 coffee trees can be planted per hectare), showing their meager annual income, typical of impoverished small coffee farming families.

Coffee harvested by small farmers undergoes traditional washed processing. After depulping, the beans are soaked and washed in water tanks, then placed on drying racks for natural sun drying.

Like other East African countries, Burundi's coffee has its own special processing method called double washing (or double fermentation). Coffee processed this way develops an extremely grateful taste and bright flavors.

The coffee beans are nearly flawless, with uniform size and moisture content. After roasting, the beans consistently show a quite bright roasted color. The flavor is wild, retaining strong taste and aroma. The rich fragrance differs from most premium and mild coffees on the market, earning high praise in Europe. The dry aroma is very strong, comparable to Kenyan coffee. Upon tasting, one can immediately feel a rich, vanilla-like flavor with a wild sensation. The coffee is rich, with lower acidity than Kenyan coffee, slightly thicker texture than Kenyan, and a shorter aftertaste than Kenyan. It has the inherent characteristics of East African beans yet is quite unique.

Green Bean Analysis

Generally, Burundi coffee is mainly Bourbon variety, with some other variations (such as Jackson and Blue Mountain). It is grown at altitudes ranging from 700-2,700 meters. Higher altitudes produce brighter acidity and lemon notes, with flavors of passion fruit, pineapple, floral notes, and honey. Quality can reach SCA 86 points or above. Lower altitude coffee has a slightly thinner body with more chocolate and hazelnut flavors.

Region: Bubanza
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1400 to 1700 meters
Soil: Volcanic rock soil
Grade: AA Grade
Processing: Washed
Harvest Period: March to August
Flavor: Honey, kumquat, violet floral notes, light acidity, smooth mouthfeel, saturated aroma, rich and lasting aftertaste.

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