Detailed introduction of historical brewing parameters of Burundian boutique coffee flavor

Features of Burundi Coffee:

There are many hippopotamuses and crocodiles in the lake, and there are many bird species. There are more than 300 species of fish in the lake, among which African carp is the most famous. Developed water transport, there are Kigoma, Ujiji, Kalemie, Uvira, Bujumbura and other lake ports. Crocodiles and hippopotamuses abound in the lake, surrounded by elephants, antelopes, lions, giraffes and other unique African animals. The lake is rich in fish and various waterbirds, and is a good natural fishing ground and a place for birds to gather.

Coffee from Burundi:

Burundi coffee is now grown only on small farms. Coffee produced in Burundi is almost exclusively Arabica beans, while coffee trees in Ngozi are grown at more than 1200 meters above sea level.

Burundi Coffee Market:

Most of Burundi's coffee products are exported to the United States, Germany, Finland and Japan

There are many plateaus and mountains in Burundi, most of which are composed of plateaus on the east side of the Great Rift Valley. The average altitude of the whole country is 1600 meters, so it is called "Mountain Country". Burundi can be divided into three regions according to its topography: the western plain region, along the Ruzizi River, with the Rift Albrtine plain at an altitude of 774 to 1000 metres; the central and western mountainous region, with an average altitude of 1700 metres and the highest peak at Heha, southeast of Bujumbura, at an altitude of 2670 metres; and the central and eastern plateau region, with an altitude of 1000 to 2000 metres. Burundi's mineral deposits are mainly nickel, peat, cerium, tantalum and tin. Nickel ore reserves of about 300 million tons, grade of 1.5%. Peat reserves are about 500 million tons. Phosphate reserves 30.5 million tons, grade 11.1-12.6%. Limestone reserves of 2 million tons. Gold deposits are widely distributed, with large reserves in the northwest. Mining and smuggling abroad in the 1930s. Forest cover, which was 5 per cent of the country in 1993, declined rapidly to 3 per cent as a result of fires and deforestation.

Burundi has two main ethnic groups, the Tutsi, who number only about one and a half, have ruled the country since the sixteenth century and control a civilian population composed mainly of Hutu, together with a very small indigenous population of Twa. This abnormal social structure, in which ethnic minorities predominate, sowed the seeds of national instability and reached its peak in October 1993. Only four months after taking office, Melchior Ndadaye, the first Hutu head of state in Burundi's history and the first democratically elected president, was assassinated by a mainly Tutsi military. Ndadaya's death led to a full-scale ethnic conflict in which at least 200,000 people on both sides were massacred, with the original 65,000 Tutsis massacred to less than 5000. The killings continued until 2002, when the Tutsi government finally signed an internationally brokered truce with four different Hutu rebels, and a ceasefire agreement with the last rebel group, the National Liberation Forces (French: Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie-Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie, NCDD-FDD), was signed on 7 September 2006 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Burundi has one of the most diverse and successful coffee industries in the world, and it has its own characteristics. Burundi coffee has a strong aroma and excellent acidity.

Flavor: Full bodied, aromatic, excellent acidity

Burundi coffee was introduced by Belgian colonists in 1930. Unfortunately, many of these farms are located on the border with war-torn Rwanda, putting pressure on coffee production.

Coffee from Burundi:

Burundi coffee is now grown only on small farms. Coffee produced in Burundi is almost exclusively Arabica beans, while coffee trees in Ngozi are grown at more than 1200 meters above sea level.

Coffee arrived in Burundi at the end of the 20th century during the Belgian colonial period. Since 1933, farmers have been required to care for at least 50 coffee trees. Coffee production began to be privatized in 1962 when Burundi became independent; it returned to the State in 1972 as the political situation changed; and gradually returned to private hands from 1991.

Coffee cultivation increased steadily in Burundi, but production dropped sharply after the civil war of 1993. Since then, Burundi has been working to increase the production and value of coffee. Investment in the coffee industry was seen as a priority because Burundi's economy had been devastated by the long civil war. According to statistics for 2011, Burundi's per capita national income is among the lowest in the world, and 90 per cent of the population depends on farming for their livelihood. Total exports of coffee and tea account for 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings.

Coffee production is now recovering, though not at levels seen in the early 1980s. But the future of Burundi's coffee industry remains hopeful. The country's 650,000 households depend on coffee production for their livelihoods, so campaigns to raise incomes by improving coffee quality are all the more beneficial. But political unrest remains a cause for concern.

The geography of Burundi is ideal for coffee cultivation. It is mountainous and has a suitable altitude and climate. There are no coffee plantations in the country, and Burundi coffee beans are mainly produced by a large number of small farmers. In recent years, these small-scale producers have become increasingly organized and tend to cluster around the 160 wet treatment plants in the territory, two thirds of which are state-owned and the rest privately owned, each processing coffee beans from an average of several hundred to up to two thousand producers.

Wet treatment plants in different production areas will also form management integration units, basically the Wet Treatment Plant Management Association (SOGESTAL). The Association's main function is to provide better hardware in the region, and therefore has contributed to the improvement in the quality of Burundi coffee in recent years. The best coffee in Burundi is washed, mostly bourbon, but there are other varieties. Burundi has many similarities with neighbouring Rwanda; apart from similar altitudes and coffee varieties, both are landlocked countries, which can be an obstacle to rapid export of green coffee beans to consumer countries in their best condition. Like Rwanda, Burundi coffee is prone to potato flavor defects.

Production and sales history

Until recent years, every wet treatment plant under SOGESTAL had mixed raw beans. Many coffees from Burundi can only be traced back to their respective SOGESTAL, i.e. their original region of origin.

Since 2008, Burundi has begun to transform itself into a boutique coffee industry, leading to more direct trade and traceable procurement methods. In 2011, Burundi held a coffee quality competition called Prestige Cup, which was also a precursor to the official Cup of Excellence. Coffee beans from each wet treatment plant are stored separately, ranked according to quality, and then sold at auctions. Coffee beans have production and marketing records. It also means that unique high-quality coffee beans from Burundi will gradually appear on the market, which will greatly help improve the quality.

Coffee taste

High quality coffee from Burundi has complex berry flavours and a juicy taste.

producing areas

Population: 8,749,000

2013 production (60 kg/bag): 167,000 bags

Burundi is a small country and therefore does not have a clear geographical area. As long as the geographical environment and altitude are suitable, coffee trees can be planted throughout the territory. The country is divided into different provinces, and coffee plantations are clustered around rewetting plants.