Tanzanian Coffee Bean Brewing Methods Introduction Kilimanjaro Coffee Flavor Description

When it comes to African coffee, Ethiopia and Kenya undoubtedly reign supreme. These two major African coffee-producing nations offer excellent guarantees in both quality and quantity. Meanwhile, coffee from Tanzania, another East African powerhouse, has gradually been gaining attention.

Tanzanian Coffee

Tanzania borders Kenya and began cultivating coffee around the same time period. In 1898, Catholic missionaries introduced coffee to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, marking the beginning of Tanzania's coffee cultivation.

After World War I, Britain gained control over the Tanganyika region (Tanzania's predecessor), and both Kenya and Tanzania, under British rule, simultaneously began developing coffee cultivation. However, unlike Kenya, which established the Scott Agricultural Laboratories as early as 1922 and embarked on scientific coffee cultivation, Tanzania was still debating whether to grow food crops or cash crops.

It wasn't until Tanzania gained autonomy in 1961 and the government prioritized coffee as a focus for economic development that the country began to see progress. However, the results did not meet government expectations. It wasn't until the 1990s, when the government implemented a series of reforms and regulations in the coffee industry, that Tanzanian coffee finally established its place on the international stage.

Although Tanzanian coffee currently doesn't enjoy the same level of fame as Kenyan coffee, its production scale has already reached comparable levels to Kenya's.

Tanzanian Growing Regions

Tanzania is primarily divided into two growing regions: the Southern region and the Kilimanjaro region. The Southern region is located in the southern part of Tanzania, with main growing areas being RUVUMA and MBEYA. Although currently not dominant in quality, it is considered by many international coffee buyers to be the region with the most potential for specialty coffee. With recent international attention and investment, the Southern region may become Tanzania's primary coffee-producing area.

The Kilimanjaro region is located around Mount Kilimanjaro, near Kenya, and is Tanzania's oldest coffee-growing region. Benefiting from high altitude, fertile volcanic soil, and pure meltwater sources, it has become the most suitable area for coffee cultivation. Coffee from the Kilimanjaro region is often praised as comparable to Kenyan coffee. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee sources its Tanzanian coffee from the Kilimanjaro region.

FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzanian coffee is a washed Typica variety. Typica is widely recognized as a high-quality coffee variety. Tanzania uses a coffee bean grading system similar to Kenya's, based on bean size. FrontStreet Coffee's Tanzanian coffee is AA grade, meaning 90% of the beans are size 18 or larger, so the beans appear large, full, and uniform.

In terms of roasting, due to the beans' high moisture content and large particle size, the dehydration time is extended during roasting to ensure even heating between the bean surface and core. To express the sweetness, acidity, and floral-fruity aromas of this coffee, we used a medium-light roast, extending the caramelization reaction after the first crack to enhance the sweetness. The bean surface color value is 74.9, and the core color value is 83.8.

How to Brew Tanzanian Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's cupping notes for this bean reveal citrus, berry, honey, and tea-like flavors. FrontStreet Coffee's brewing method aims to express the balance between acidity and sweetness while ensuring a comfortable mouthfeel, using the following brewing parameters:

• Coffee Dose: 15 grams
• Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
• Grind Size: EK-43S setting #10 (80% pass-through rate with #20 standard sieve)
• Water Temperature: 90°C
• Brewer: V60

First, pour 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom. Then, pour 120 grams of water in a circular motion to reach 150 grams total. When the water level drops to just before exposing the coffee bed, pour an additional 90 grams to reach 240 grams total. End the extraction when all coffee has dripped into the lower server, with a total time of 2 minutes. This brewing method highlights the citrus and honey flavors, creating a balanced mouthfeel.

Important Notice :

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