Where is Tanzanian coffee primarily grown? What are the characteristics of Tanzanian coffee?

In East Africa, where the terrain is the highest on the continent with most areas at elevations above 1,000 meters, the region is traversed by the famous East African Rift Valley. Along this rift valley, numerous volcanoes, lava plateaus, and lakes were formed. Consequently, many East African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, have become major coffee producers and exporters.

Although Tanzania may not be as well-known as Ethiopia and Kenya, it actually possesses rich natural resources and produces high-quality coffee, making it one of Africa's coffee giants. Tanzania is one of the cradles of early humanity, with an economy primarily based on agriculture, along with abundant mineral and tourism resources. The terrain is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast, with the eastern coast comprising lowlands, while the western highlands cover half of the country's total area, creating an overall terraced landscape.

The East African Rift Valley splits into eastern and western branches from Lake Malawi, running north-south through Tanzania and bringing Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. Located near the equator, Tanzania has a predominantly tropical climate. The eastern coast and inland lowlands experience a tropical savanna climate, while the western highlands have a tropical highland climate, with average annual temperatures ranging from 21°C to 26°C. However, Tanzania receives relatively little rainfall, with 80% of the regions receiving less than 1,000 millimeters annually. Despite this, Tanzania has numerous rivers and lakes with abundant water resources, creating conditions highly suitable for coffee cultivation.

According to historical records, coffee was first introduced from Réunion Island by Christian missionaries to the Bayamoyo and Mogoro regions of Tanzania. It later spread to the Kilimanjaro mountain in the northeast, where the fertile volcanic soil led to increased production. The cultivation continued to expand to other regions, and the first cooperative union, the Kilimanjaro Native Planters' Association (KNRA), was established. This attracted many farmers to choose coffee cultivation, and other varieties were introduced from neighboring Burundi and planted in western Tanzania.

During the colonial period, Tanzania's coffee industry was dominated by estate plantations. After Tanzania's independence, to promote coffee cultivation, land was divided into small plots and distributed to small-scale farmers. As a result, over 90% of coffee production now comes from small farmers. These small farmers form cooperatives, among which the Kilimanjaro Cooperative Union (KNCU) holds a significant position locally, primarily responsible for controlling the quality of produced coffee.

Ninety percent of Tanzania's coffee is produced by 450,000 small farmers, with the remaining 10% coming from larger estates. Currently, nine growing regions have been identified, all situated around the country. Among these, the relatively well-known regions include Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Ruvuma, Mbeya, Tarime, and Kigoma.

The Kilimanjaro Coffee Region

The most important coffee-growing region in Tanzania is Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is located in northeastern Tanzania and is the highest mountain on the entire African continent. It consists mainly of three dormant volcanoes: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, with the highest peak reaching 5,895 meters and maintaining year-round snow cover.

Because Mount Kilimanjaro blocks the humid monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean and has high elevations, it features tropical, temperate, and frigid climate zones, ranging from the tropical rainforest climate at the base to the ice cap climate at the summit. The mountainous terrain easily creates orographic rainfall, resulting in abundant precipitation. The combination of water flow and temperature conditions has created many different vegetation zones from top to bottom on Mount Kilimanjaro, with coffee cultivated at elevations between 1,050 and 2,500 meters.

At the southern foothills of Kilimanjaro lies Moshi, the capital city of the region, which serves as Tanzania's largest coffee trading and processing center, responsible for coffee processing and export in this area. At FrontStreet Coffee, we also feature coffee beans from this renowned Tanzanian region of Kilimanjaro. We select Typica variety beans processed using the washed method. When brewed, they exhibit gentle acidity with flavors of citrus, berries, honey, and nuts. The mouthfeel is smooth with tea-like characteristics, creating an overall balanced profile.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that although Tanzania is located in Africa, neighboring countries like Kenya and Rwanda, Tanzanian coffee has less bright acidity, with gentler acidity and a richer body and aroma. It is more balanced overall, possessing unique characteristics that distinguish Tanzanian coffee.

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