How Does Kilimanjaro Coffee Compare With Other Tanzanian Lots?

Tanzania produces about 50,000 tons of coffee a year, close to neighboring Kenya, though it is less famous. The earliest arabica seeds came from Réunion and were planted in Bayamoyo and Mogoro; planting on the slopes of Kilimanjaro in 1893 proved the most successful, and more varieties arrived from Burundi in the 1950s.

High-altitude zones now account for 75% of production, and wild coffee still appears from time to time. Compared with Kenya's bright acidity, Tanzanian coffee is more restrained and gentle, with prominent sweetness and a noticeable red wine character. Beans ship in agave leaf fiber bags to protect the domestic sisal industry.

Tanzania is located in East Africa, bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to the south, and Rwanda and Burundi to the west. Although Tanzanian coffee is less famous than that of its neighbor Kenya, its annual production is almost on par with Kenya's, reaching about 50,000 tons. The earliest Arabica seeds were introduced from the French island of Réunion and planted in Bayamoyo and Mogoro. In 1893, planting on the slopes of Kilimanjaro achieved the greatest success, and in the 1950s more varieties were introduced from Burundi to the west. Currently, high-altitude growing areas account for 75%, and wild coffee still appears from time to time. Unlike most African producing countries, Tanzania ships coffee beans in agave leaf fiber bags to protect its domestic sisal industry. This article will comprehensively review the producing regions, variety characteristics, grading system, and processing methods of Tanzanian coffee, and combine them with Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing practices to present its unique flavor.

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As lovers of floral and fruity coffee, Front Street has always had a particular fondness for specialty beans from producing regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Panama, and Costa Rica, but occasionally we also want to change things up and explore quality single-origin coffees from other places. This time, what we are going to talk about is Tanzania, which is also located in Africa.

Tanzania is a typical East African country, bordering Kenya and Uganda to the north, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to the south, and Rwanda and Burundi to the west. Many people are used to comparing Tanzanian coffee with that of neighboring Kenya. Compared with the excellent bright acidity of Kenyan beans, Tanzanian coffee has a more restrained acidity, and its overall style tends to be softer and gentler, with more prominent sweetness and a noticeable red wine character.

Although it is less well known than Kenyan beans, Tanzania's annual production is almost comparable to Kenya's, reaching about 50,000 tons. The earliest Arabica seeds came from the French island of Réunion and were planted in Bayamoyo and Mogoro. In 1893, the beans on the slopes of Kilimanjaro became the most successful planting example. In the 1950s, other varieties were successively introduced from neighboring Burundi and planted in western Tanzania. At present, the main growing areas are concentrated in high-altitude zones, accounting for 75%, and local wild coffee also still appears.

Unlike most African producing countries, Tanzania's coffee bags are not the common jute material, but rough fiber bags made from agave leaves. This practice stems from the local government's ban on the use of jute bags in order to protect Tanzania's sisal industry.

In northeastern Tanzania stands Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. After World War I, the region was named a mandate and was once under British colonial rule, gaining independence in 1964. Bourbon-lineage coffee was introduced for planting as early as 1893. The green beans are mainly washed, and high-quality high-altitude Tanzanian coffee, like Kenyan coffee, has an active and bright acidity.

The coffee-producing areas in northern Tanzania are mainly Moshi, Mbeya, and other places around the highlands at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, while to the south the core is the Songea-Ruvuma area through which the Ruvuma River flows. Because of different growing terrains, the styles differ slightly. Coffee produced in the Ruvuma region in southwestern Tanzania has vinous and fruity aromas, differing from the flavor of producing areas near Mount Kilimanjaro in the north.

The Kilimanjaro volcano is located in northeastern Tanzania and is Tanzania's largest coffee-producing region, accounting for 75% of the country's output. Overall, Tanzanian coffee beans are of exceptional quality. Important producing areas are concentrated in the mountainous areas of the north near Kenya, where smallholder coffee farming accounts for 85%, with growing elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 meters. Its flavor is neither the same as that of neighboring Ethiopia nor that of Kenya, combining characteristics of both, with good body and fruity and floral notes, making it worth trying. Coffee is a dicotyledonous plant, and usually a single coffee cherry fruit contains a pair of coffee seeds, which are what we call coffee beans.

Opposite flat beans are round beans, also called caracol or caracolillo, which in Spanish means little snail. From a botanical perspective, the cause of round beans is uneven pollination—Arabica coffee is a self-pollinating plant. If a coffee flower has only one ovary, or only one ovary is successfully pollinated, only one seed can be produced; or during growth, nutrients are distributed unevenly, which usually easily occurs in the fruit on the ends of coffee tree branches, where nutrients are absorbed by only one cotyledon. Only the cotyledon that receives nutrients continues to grow, forming a single oval-shaped small coffee seed, hence the name round bean. Under normal circumstances, the proportion of round beans produced by coffee plants is about 3% to 5%, and the yield is relatively scarce. Because their shape and size differ from normal flat beans, round beans are often separated and graded out for sale through screen sizing.

Tanzanian coffee comes from the fertile soil of the East African Rift Valley and is an outstanding representative of high-quality coffee in this region. Its refreshing acidity and medium body complement sweet citrus and floral notes. This coffee tastes excellent whether drunk hot or made into iced coffee, and pairing it with orange or berries further highlights its bright flavor.

Northern coffee has abundant aroma, bright acidity, and a mellow mouthfeel, benefiting from fertile volcanic soil and carrying a sweetness like mineral water. In the northern Tanzanian coffee-producing areas, the main regions are Moshi, Mbeya, and other places around the highlands at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, while to the south the main region is the Songea-Ruvuma area through which the Ruvuma River flows. Because of different growing terrains, the styles differ slightly.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Region: Kilimanjaro volcano area in the northern highlands Variety: Typica Processing method: Washed Grade: AA Altitude: 1300-2000m

Southern coffee has rich floral aromas, a smooth mouthfeel, and elegant fruity acidity. Coffee produced in the Ruvuma region in southwestern Tanzania has vinous and fruity aromas, differing from coffee in the areas near Mount Kilimanjaro in the north.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Southern Tanzania Region Region: Southern region Variety: Bourbon Processing method: Washed Grade: AA Altitude: 1200-2100 meters

Washed processing method This Tanzanian coffee bean from Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses washed processing. After harvesting, high-quality and sufficiently ripe cherries are first selected, depulped, naturally fermented for 12 to 24 hours, cleaned, soaked in water for 24 hours, cleaned again, and then sun-dried.

Tanzanian green bean grading system

The highest grade of green beans officially established by Tanzania is AAA. As for terms such as AA top and AB plus, these are names used by private green bean traders who conduct a second screening from batches officially labeled to specification and give them the title AA top, which is higher than AA.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Roasting Analysis

Kilimanjaro coffee consists of evenly sized large coffee beans with a grayish-green color. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) uses a medium-light roast to highlight a stronger acidity and sweet aroma, with an excellent flavor.

Charge at a drum temperature of 170°C, with heat at 130 and airflow opening set to 3; the turning point is at 1'55". When the drum temperature reaches 120°C, open the airflow to 4 while keeping the heat unchanged; when the drum temperature reaches 165.8°C, the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, and the dehydration stage begins; at 6'30", ugly wrinkles and dark streaks appear on the bean surface, and the toast aroma clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, it is necessary to listen clearly for the sound of the first crack point; first crack begins at 10'16", open the airflow to 5, develop for 1'45" after first crack, and drop at 193°C.

Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) Brewing Recommendation Dose: 15g Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 Grind size: medium-fine grind (80% passing a No. 20 standard sieve) Water temperature: 90°C

Staged extraction: use 30 grams of water for a 30-second bloom, then pour in a slow circular stream until 125 grams for the stage break. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed, continue pouring until 225 grams and stop pouring. When the water level is about to expose the coffee bed again, remove the dripper. The extraction time is 2'00" (starting from the beginning of the bloom).

Flavor: It has an acidity with a red wine-like texture similar to Kenyan coffee, a soft and pleasing understated acidity, a rounded mouthfeel, and medium viscosity. In addition to a lingering finish, it also has both fruity aroma and fruity acidity. Its acidity is weaker than that of Kenyan coffee, making it a relatively mild coffee.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.