What makes Kilimanjaro coffee taste the way it does?

Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA comes from the northern highlands volcanic region at 1,300 to 2,000 meters. The beans are the Bourbon variety, washed and graded AA by size under the same system Kenya uses. In the cup you get citrus, berries, honey and tea, which is why this Arabica coffee reads brighter than its low profile suggests.

Altitude, climate and volcanic soil set the growing conditions; variety and washed processing decide how those flavors reach the cup. Commercial coffee growing in Tanzania only began in the early twentieth century under German colonial rule, so the country's specialty reputation was built much later than Ethiopia's or Kenya's.

In the African coffee landscape, Ethiopia and Kenya often take center stage, while Tanzania's coffee remains much more low-key. In fact, Tanzania also produces exceptional quality Arabica coffee beans, and its grading system is consistent with Kenya's, classifying by bean size, with AA being the highest grade. The Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA coffee beans introduced by Front Street Coffee come from the volcanic region of the northern highlands, using the Bourbon variety and washed processing, with flavors of citrus, berries, honey, and tea. This article will explore the growing conditions, variety characteristics, processing methods, and grading system, analyzing the flavor formation of this bean, and include Front Street Coffee's pour-over parameters and brewing suggestions to help coffee enthusiasts gain a comprehensive understanding of the unique charm of Tanzania AA.

When it comes to African coffee, most people first think of Ethiopia and Kenya, while Tanzania is rarely mentioned. So how good is the quality of Tanzanian coffee beans? According to Front Street Coffee, Tanzania's grading standards are the same as Kenya's, both based on coffee bean size, with the highest grade also being AA. For this reason, Front Street Coffee has also introduced Tanzanian AA-grade coffee beans. Next, this article will introduce the flavor characteristics and the story behind this Tanzania AA coffee.

Front Street Coffee: Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA Coffee Beans

Country: Tanzania Region: Northern Highlands, Kilimanjaro volcanic region Altitude: 1300-2000m Variety: Bourbon Grade: AA Processing: Washed Flavor: Citrus, berries, honey, tea

As shown above, this coffee is produced in the Kilimanjaro volcanic region. As a crop, coffee's flavor is closely related to the altitude, climate, soil, and other geographical conditions of the producing region. Additionally, the coffee variety and processing method also affect the flavor. Below, Front Street Coffee will analyze how the flavor of this Tanzanian coffee is formed from these three aspects.

Tanzania Coffee Growing Conditions

Tanzania is relatively close to Ethiopia and borders Kenya, so part of the country's population has a long historical and cultural connection with coffee. However, commercial cultivation of coffee in Tanzania did not begin until the early 20th century. At that time, German colonists required local farmers to grow Arabica coffee as a cash crop, promoting this crop within Tanzania and developing related industries around Mount Kilimanjaro.

Also according to Front Street Coffee, although Tanzanian coffee is less famous than Kenya's, its annual output 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 the Bayamoyo and Mogoro regions. In 1893, beans planted on the slopes of Kilimanjaro became the most successful case. Other varieties were also introduced from neighboring Burundi in the 1950s and planted in western Tanzania. Currently, the main growing areas are concentrated in high-altitude zones, accounting for about 75%, while wild coffee continues to appear locally.

What are the characteristics of the Kilimanjaro coffee region?

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak on the African continent, and most coffee beans in this region are grown on slopes at altitudes of 1300-2000 meters. It has rich volcanic soil, which is very suitable for growing high-quality Arabica coffee. At the same time, Kilimanjaro is Tanzania's largest coffee-producing region, and Kilimanjaro coffee is also an important pillar of the country's economy.

Tanzania Coffee Bean Varieties

As mentioned earlier, this Kilimanjaro coffee is of the Bourbon variety, which is also the most widely planted coffee variety in Tanzania. According to Front Street Coffee, Bourbon coffee beans were introduced to the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania by Catholic missionaries in 1898. Subsequently, the Kent variety was also introduced in 1920. Therefore, to this day, Tanzanian coffee is still mainly Bourbon and Kent. So what are the flavor characteristics of Bourbon coffee beans?

Bourbon Coffee Beans:

Bourbon is an ancient variety as famous as Typica, both belonging to the Arabica species. Bourbon coffee was first planted on Réunion Island, which was called Île Bourbon before 1789, and the variety name derives from this.

Although both are old varieties, Front Street Coffee has observed that Bourbon and Typica have obvious differences: Bourbon's leaves are wider than Typica's, its growth is denser, and its yield is about 30% higher than Typica's. The beans are rounder and shorter, with thick berry acidity, obvious creaminess and aroma, strong acidity, and prominent fruity acidity, but it also has the disadvantage of poorer disease resistance.

In simple terms, Bourbon is a branch under the Arabica species, usually bearing red fruit, called Red Bourbon, and there are also variants such as Yellow Bourbon and Pink Bourbon.

Tanzania Coffee Bean Processing Method

As mentioned above, this coffee uses the washed processing method. According to Front Street Coffee, washed processing is also the most commonly used method by Tanzanian coffee farmers. The biggest characteristic of washed processing is that it makes the coffee beans' original flavor fresher and brighter, and the mouthfeel is also very clean.

Steps of the washed processing method:

1. Screen and remove impurities mixed in with the coffee cherries. 2. Remove the coffee pulp and outer skin. 3. Send to fermentation tanks and ferment for 18-36 hours to remove the pectin layer adhering to the parchment. 4. Clean thoroughly and then dry.

Tanzania Coffee Grading

As Front Street Coffee mentioned above, Tanzania's grading method is the same as Kenya's, both based on coffee bean size. During screening, green coffee beans are passed through screens with holes of fixed sizes; the larger the screen number, the larger the green bean size.

AA grade: Screen Size between 17-18 mesh (7.20mm screen) AB grade: Screen Size between 15-16 mesh (6.8mm~6.2mm screen) PB grade: Round green beans, accounting for about 10% of all coffee beans C grade: Screen Size between 12-14 mesh (4.8mm~5.6mm screen)

The Tanzania coffee introduced by Front Street Coffee is graded AA, the highest grade in the country. So how does it taste when brewed as pour-over? Below, Front Street Coffee will share the pour-over parameters and flavor performance of this coffee.

Front Street Coffee Tanzania Kilimanjaro Coffee Pour-Over Suggestions

Front Street recommends using a V60 conical dripper. The V60 has a larger opening, and together with its unique spiral curve ribs, it allows air to escape more easily, thereby improving extraction quality. The body may not be thick enough, but its high concentration brings out the Kilimanjaro acidity and prominent aroma as a major feature.

Water temperature: 90-91°C Grind size: fine sugar size / 80% of grounds passing through a No. 20 sieve Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15 Dose: 15g

Brewing method: staged extraction.

First, bloom with 30g of water for 30 seconds, then pour in a slow circular motion with a small stream until 125g and stop. Wait for the water to drop, then slowly pour again at an even speed; the water level should not be too high. Pour again until 225g and stop. Extraction time is 2 minutes 03 seconds (including bloom time).

Brewed flavor: Berry aroma, with a soft citrus acidity on entry, nuts in the middle, and a honey-like finish.

The above is Front Street Coffee's summary of the flavor characteristics and story of Tanzania AA coffee. We hope this article can help coffee enthusiasts better understand Tanzanian coffee so they can choose beans suited to their own taste in the future.

So how much does a cup of Tanzania Kilimanjaro AA coffee cost? Based on Front Street Coffee's pricing, a cup of Tanzania Kilimanjaro pour-over coffee is 30 yuan. We hope this price provides some reference for coffee enthusiasts.

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