What are the coffee producing areas of the Great Lakes in Africa? Tradition of coffee in Rwanda, Tanzania

Coffee-producing areas located in countries around the Great Lakes of Central Africa-Rwanda, Burundi and the main growing areas of Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo-appear more frequently in the news cycle because of conflict than coffee. But these countries are also long-term coffee producers, and in the past decade or so, they have become an important source of unique high-end boutique coffee.

For those familiar with the region's extraordinarily difficult history, the recent broad shift from commercial coffee (often carelessly harvested and dried) to well-managed, high-quality, high-value professional production may seem magical. The historical challenges facing farmers are daunting: little agricultural technical support and training; lack of funding; extremely low coffee prices; weak overall infrastructure and, in some cases, brutal civil wars that often last years or even decades.

However, the potential advantages of producing quality coffee in these areas are equally profound: industrious farmers, relatively high growth elevations, volcanic soil, and the temperature regulation effects of the region's huge freshwater lakes in some cases. Lake Victoria is the third largest freshwater lake in the world, and Lake Tanganyika, bordering Burundi, is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Kivu is much smaller, but it is still a very large lake, directly near the main growing areas of Rwanda and Congo.

But the most important thing is the variety of trees. All the coffee we comment on here, with the exception of Uganda, consists entirely or mainly of native Arabica bourbon varieties, which have long been grown in the region and are highly respected for their tendency to complex aromas and strong sweetness. usually juxtaposed with delicious resonance.

From commodity to specialty

Almost all coffee from these areas is produced by small farmers, most of them poor and most of them cultivated on their own land. However, the leadership and structure of the coffee industry in these countries are often brutally undermined by civil wars and violence and do not succeed in encouraging well-organized cooperatives that produce most of the best coffee in Ethiopia and Kenya. these two African origins are the darlings of boutique coffee roasters around the world.

The traditional treatment of coffee in the Great Lakes region of Africa

In some areas, the outline of the "classic" cup is selected: bright and balanced, smooth and full, fresh, usually juicy, acidity. Most coffee is solid and enjoyable.

Most Great Lakes coffee in Africa is processed by traditional wet processing, which means that the peel and pulp are removed from the beans immediately after harvest and before drying. The "classic" features described above apply to the best of these coffees. But about 20% of the coffee we receive is processed naturally or dry, which means that the beans or seeds are dried and wrapped in the whole fruit. Some of the submissions are all natural, while others are processed with honey, which removes the skin of the coffee fruit in the same way as washing, but leaves some fruit residue on the seeds during drying.