Don't underestimate Kenyan coffee.

Kenya lies to the north of Ethiopia, the origin of Arabica coffee trees, but it was not until the early 20th century that it was engaged in coffee cultivation. In the 19th century, missionaries introduced Arabica trees from Yemen, but did not plant them in large quantities. It was not until 1893, when the ancient Brazilian bourbon seeds were introduced, that coffee was cultivated on a large scale. That is to say, the current Kenyan coffee is of Brazilian ancestry. Due to differences in water, climate and treatment, the flavor of Kenyan beans is quite different from that of Brazilian beans. Brazilian coffee is planted at a low altitude, with soft texture and no obvious sour taste. In contrast, Kenyan coffee trees are mainly concentrated on the slopes near Mount Kenya, about 4 to 6500 feet above sea level. This height is the most suitable for coffee beans to develop their flavor, because the mountain temperature is lower and the growth is slower, and the aromatic components of coffee beans are fully developed. the acidity of the fruit is more obvious and the texture is harder.

In addition, Kenya was an early British colony, and the British had established a set of perfect cultivation and quality control system. After the independence of Kenya, the coffee industry has made great strides on the existing basis, and has become the largest foreign exchange earning industry in Kenya.

There are two types of coffee farms in Kenya. one is a large planting farm that covers an area of more than five acres, but the average elevation is low. In the case of Kenyan coffee, the coffee beans of the large farms are of medium quality. The best Kenya beans come from small farms, most of which are located in the foothills or volcanic slopes above 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Each small farmer has a capacity of only 20 to 70 bags per season and is unable to invest in expensive washing plants, but small farmers are very United. Hundreds or thousands of households are gathered to set up cooperative farms, and the government pays for the construction of washing treatment plants, and the coffee fruits picked by small farmers are sent to cooperative farms for unified processing. First remove the half-ripe or rotten fruit, then peel, ferment, decompose the flesh, remove the coffee beans, then dry and polish, the whole process is supervised by the official Coffee Administration, which ensures the quality of Kenyan coffee. Kenya bean washing processing technology and high standards of quality control, has always been an example of bean-producing countries.

Don't underestimate the small farmers in Kenya, they are just like ants and soldiers, and their overall production capacity is higher than that of large farms, about six to four, which is quite rare in bean-producing countries. Kenyan coffee is widely appreciated by connoisseurs, thanks in large part to small farmers guarding the foothills in order to grow high-quality coffee. In addition, Kenya beans must have a strict grading system. Coffee beans taken out by washing plants are divided into seven grades according to size, shape and hardness, the highest is AA or AA+, followed by AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. This grading system is similar to Colombia, mainly in terms of particle size and shape, but it does not necessarily have the best flavor. This is what coffee fans should know.

In recent years, the international evaluation of Kenya beans is not as good as in previous years. It is believed that this is related to the abnormal climate in recent years, which is not conducive to the growth of coffee, but the matter is not so simple. This has something to do with the fact that the Kenyan authorities have made great efforts to promote the new variety Ruiru11, which has stronger disease resistance and higher yield per unit. According to the results of taste test, the flavor of the new variety with higher economic value is much worse than that of the traditional variety, and to make matters worse, Ruiru11 is about to replace the traditional Arabica and bourbon varieties. In addition, the quality of coffee is declining, the auction price is not good, and the income of small farmers is reduced. Coupled with the fact that the coffee management bureau is not a paradox, farmers' enthusiasm for coffee will be greatly reduced, which will of course affect the quality of coffee. In addition, Kenya's outstanding washing technology has also declined, which is the killer of strangling quality.