What are the taste characteristics of Burundian coffee beans, Heart of Africa? Challenges to the coffee industry in Burundi

Burundi is a small mountainous landlocked country in east-central Africa located between Rwanda Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

East Africa is famous for producing quality coffee, and Burundi is no exception. Although the production here is very small compared with other African countries, coffee farmers in Burundi pay great attention to detail.

Burundi has the second highest per capita GDP in the world and is considered one of the ten poorest countries in the world, but the fact that coffee production is a major contributor to the national economy motivates farmers and provides a justification for further development of coffee cultivation.

What's the taste of Burundian coffee? Why do coffee plants thrive in this country? What's the best coffee you can buy?

Before we study these questions, let's have a cup of coffee from the town of rutana in Burundi.

This is a washed bourbon growing coffee. Qianjie uses light baking, its dry aroma is very strong, with the aroma of citrus cream caramel. The taste of tropical fruit is obvious, with light acidity, smooth and full taste and long-lasting finish. Speaking of which, people are not beginning to be moved. Today, together with Qianjie, we will explore the little-known Burundian coffee world.

Coffee cultivation and 100% export:

Coffee cultivation in the small country of Burundi began in the 1930s, when the Belgians brought the first Arabica coffee plants to the region. Although some Robusta varieties are grown in Burundi today, most of the plants are still Arabica coffee beans.

Although Burundi's coffee production is not comparable to that of some other African countries such as Kenya or Ethiopia, it is still the 29th largest coffee grower in the world. More interestingly, 100% of the coffee produced in the country is exported, with total coffee production exceeding 1181,424 pounds in 2015.

The coffee industry in Burundi faces some serious challenges, especially because of political instability, which are finally beginning to level off. Today, more than 800000 Burundian families are involved in coffee cultivation. These small farmers grow an average of about 250 trees per person and usually produce other crops and livestock along with coffee beans. About 25 million coffee trees have been planted on more than 60000 hectares of land, and you will find that it is mainly bourbon, which is famous for its excellent sweetness and richness. Coffee is wet-processed and, as typical in Africa, goes through double washing or double fermentation to produce cleaner, brighter flavor features.

How's the Burundian coffee?

Burundian coffee is often compared to coffee from Rwanda, a country bordering Burundi. To show the typical characteristics of African coffee, you can expect clean and delicate flavor, full-bodied wine and bright acidity.

Coffee in this country can show some wild and fruity taste. They have the taste of sweet berries, flowers, citrus, blueberries and even pineapple.

Coffee grown at higher altitudes has more acidity and lemon acidity and usually achieves a boutique Coffee Association score of 86 or higher. Low-altitude coffee is slightly less mellow and has chocolate and hazelnut flavors.