A brief introduction to the cultivation of Kenyan coffee beans with high standard quality control, climate and altitude

Coffee professionals consider Kenyan coffee to be one of their favorite products because Kenyan coffee contains every feeling we want from a good cup of coffee. It has a wonderful, satisfying aroma, balanced acidity, well-proportioned particles and excellent fruity notes. The taste is unique and there is almost no coffee like it. Kenya coffee is characterized by a distinct fruity aroma. Try looking for this flavor in your coffee and notice how it feels in your mouth. One of the most common fruit fragrances is citrus. Kenyan coffee has multi-layered flavors and juicy acidity, perfect grapefruit and wine flavors, and moderate body. Kenyan coffee gained further fame with the Hollywood blockbuster Out of Africa.

It entered Kenya in the 19th century, when Ethiopian coffee drinks were imported to Kenya via South Yemen. But it wasn't until the early 20th century that bourbon coffee trees were grown by St. Austin Mission introduced.

Kenya coffee is mostly grown at altitudes of 1500- 2100 meters and harvested twice a year. To make sure only ripe berries are picked, people have to make about seven rounds through the woods. Kenyan coffee is grown by smallholders who harvest the coffee and send it fresh to a cooperative washing station, which sends the washed and dried coffee to the cooperative in the state of "parchment beans"(i.e. beans covered with an endocarp)("parchment beans" are the final state of the beans before peeling). All coffee is collected together and growers charge average prices based on its actual quality. This method of buying and selling generally works well and is fair to both growers and consumers.

present situation

The Kenyan government takes the coffee industry extremely seriously, and it is illegal to cut down or ring coffee trees here. Kenya's coffee buyers are world-class buyers of premium coffee, and no country grows, produces and sells coffee as consistently as Kenya. All coffee beans are first acquired by the Coffee Board of Kenya (CBK), where they are appraised, graded and then sold at weekly auctions, where they are no longer graded. The Kenya Coffee Board acts only as an agent, collecting coffee samples and distributing them to buyers so that they can determine price and quality. Nairobi auctions are held for private exporters and the Kenya Coffee Board pays growers below-market prices. The best coffee grade is bean berry coffee (PB), followed by AA++, AA+, AA, AB, etc., in that order. Fine coffee is shiny, delicious and slightly aromatic. The auction is also organized to meet the needs of the distributor. These auctions usually sell small quantities (3-6 tons each), with samples bearing the grower's logo for buyers to appreciate. After auction, exporters pack according to different flavors, different qualities and quantities required by blenders. This provides a great deal of flexibility for the deployer. Quality-conscious germans and nordics are long-term buyers of kenyan coffee.

On an international scale, the growth in Kenyan coffee production has been remarkable, with exports rising from 800,000 bags in 1969- 1970 to 2 million bags in 1985-1986. Production is now stable at 1.6 million bags, averaging about 650 kg per hectare. The average price of coffee in Kenya has been rising since before the recent spike. 1993--1994 Prices are 50% higher in 2010 than they were 12 months ago. Price increases are mainly the result of increased demand.

Some buyers, especially Japanese ones, have complained about Kenya's coffee system. Some traders say the quality of coffee in the country has declined, pointing out that buying directly from farmers may be one way to improve quality. Either way, kenya's detailed rules and procedures are a model for all coffee-producing countries.

Kenyan coffee gained further fame with the Hollywood blockbuster Out of Africa. In the film Merrill. Mary Streep plays Karen, a writer and coffee plantation owner. Many people probably still remember the breathtaking views and magnificent sunsets in the film, but even more memorable is Karen's dream of owning a coffee plantation in Africa.

Aromatic, rich, fruity, rich and perfect on the palate. Kenya coffee has a wonderful fruity flavor, with a blackberry and grapefruit flavor, is a favorite of many coffee lovers. This coffee has an excellent medium purity, crisp and refreshing taste. Fresh flavor and best for iced coffee in summer. When tasting this coffee, if it is accompanied by fruit with acidity such as grapefruit, it will definitely give me the best coffee experience. "Less coffee, more fruit tea" is the common feeling many people have about this light roasted Kenyan coffee.

In addition to the obvious and fascinating fruit acidity, Kenya coffee is mostly grown by small coffee farmers in a variety of different environments, with different climates and rainfall each year, bringing a variety of distinct and unique personalities. Take the AAPlus grade "KenyaAA+Samburu" as an example. Samburu from 2001 has a strong aroma of dark plum, which is not high in acidity and has a strong taste. Samburu newly harvested in winter of 2002 presents a completely different flavor. Mulberry berry and green plum, accompanied by a little spicy flavor. After drinking, it has a sweet aroma of green tea. The acidity is slightly higher than that of the previous year, and the taste is still strong. The usual Kenyan flavors are not intense, but have fruity bright flavors, some with spice and some with red wine. Kenya is just like that, so coffee fans are full of expectations and surprises!

Kenya's northern neighbor is Ethiopia, where the Arabica coffee tree originated, but it was not until the early twentieth century that coffee cultivation began. In the 19th century, missionaries introduced Arabica trees from Yemen, but did not plant them in large quantities. It was not until 1893 that they introduced the ancient seeds of Bourbon coffee from Brazil that coffee was cultivated on a large scale. In other words, Kenya's coffee today has Brazilian ancestry. Due to differences in water, climate and processing methods, Kenya's bean flavor is completely different from Brazil's beans.

Coffee tastes different, so you can't drink three or four cups in a row like tea or coke, and the amount of coffee in a formal cup is just right. Ordinary drink coffee to 80-100cc for the right amount, sometimes if you want to drink three or four cups in a row, then you have to dilute the concentration of coffee, or add a lot of milk, but still have to consider the physiological needs of the degree, to increase or decrease the concentration of coffee, that is, do not cause greasy or disgusting feeling, and in the sugar allocation may also wish to change more, make coffee more delicious.

benefits

1. Coffee contains certain nutrients. Nicotinic acid in coffee contains vitamin B, which is higher in roasted beans. And there are free fatty acids, caffeine, tannic acid and so on.

2. Coffee is good for the skin. Coffee can promote metabolic function, activate digestive organs, constipation has a great effect. Bathing with coffee powder is a kind of thermotherapy, which has the effect of losing weight.

3. Coffee has a hangover effect. Drinking coffee after drinking will quickly oxidize acetaldehyde converted from alcohol and decompose it into water and carbon dioxide and expel it from the body.

4. Coffee can eliminate fatigue. To eliminate fatigue, it is necessary to supplement nutrition, rest and sleep, and promote metabolic functions, and coffee has these functions.

5. Three cups of coffee a day can prevent gallstones. For caffeinated coffee, which stimulates gallbladder contraction and reduces cholesterol in bile, Harvard University researchers found that men who drink two to three cups of coffee a day have a 40 percent lower chance of developing gallstones.

6. Drinking coffee regularly can prevent radiation damage. Radiation damage, especially the radiation of electrical appliances, has become a more prominent pollution. Indian atomic researchers reached this conclusion in mouse experiments and said it could be applied to humans.

7. Coffee's health benefits. Coffee has the functions of antioxidation and heart protection, strengthening muscles and bones, benefiting waist and knees, stimulating appetite, eliminating fat, eliminating accumulation, removing dampness from orifices, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, stopping wind and stopping spasm, etc.

8. The emotional impact of coffee. Experiments have shown that the average person absorbs 300 mg (about 3 cups of brewed coffee) of caffeine a day, which will have a good effect on a person's alertness and mood.

Brazilian coffee is grown at low altitudes, with soft texture and no obvious fruit acid flavor. Kenyan coffee trees, on the other hand, are concentrated on the slopes near Mount Kenya, between 4,000 feet and 6,500 feet above sea level, which is suitable for coffee bean flavor development, because the mountain temperature is lower, the growth is slower, the aromatic components of coffee beans are fully developed, the fruit acid flavor is more obvious, and the texture is harder. In addition, Kenya was a British colony in the early days, and the British have established a complete system of cultivation and quality control. After Kenya became independent, the coffee industry was on an established basis.

There are two types of coffee farms in Kenya. One is a large plantation covering more than five acres, but the average elevation is lower. For Kenya coffee, the coffee beans of the large farm are only moderate in quality. The best Kenyan beans are produced in small farms, mostly located in the foothills or hillsides above 5,000 or 6,000 feet. Each small farmer can only produce about 20 to 70 bags per season. They cannot afford to invest in expensive washing and treatment plants. However, small farmers are very united. Hundreds or thousands of families set up cooperative farms. The washing and treatment plants are funded by the government. The coffee fruits picked by small farmers are sent to cooperative farms for unified processing. First, the half-ripe or rotten fruits are removed, and then peeled, fermented, The process of breaking down the pulp, removing the beans, drying and polishing is supervised by the official Coffee Authority, which is quite rigorous and ensures the quality of Kenyan coffee. Kenya bean washing processing technology and high standards of quality pipe, has been a model of bean producing countries.

Don't underestimate Kenya's small farmers. They are no different from ants and soldiers. Their overall productivity is higher than that of large farms, about six to four, which is quite rare in soybean producing countries. Kenyan coffee is widely appreciated by connoisseurs, thanks in large part to smallholder farmers who work hard to grow good coffee in the foothills. In addition, Kenya beans must have a strict classification system, washing plant coffee beans, according to size, shape and hardness, divided into seven grades, the highest level is AA or AA+, followed by AB, PB, C, E, TT, T. This grading system is similar to Colombia, mainly based on particle size and shape considerations, but good selling is not good flavor. This is what coffee fans should know.

In recent years, international evaluation of Kenya beans is not as good as in previous years. I believe this is related to the abnormal weather in recent years, which is not conducive to the growth of coffee, but things are not so simple. This is related to the Kenyan authorities 'efforts to promote a new variety, Ruiru11, which has stronger disease resistance and higher unit yield. The taste test results show that the new variety with higher economic value has worse flavor than the traditional variety. Worse, Ruiru11 is about to replace the traditional Arabica and Bourbon varieties. In addition, the decline in coffee quality, auction prices are not good, small farmers 'income is reduced, coupled with the coffee management bureau people do not plan, farmers' enthusiasm for coffee greatly reduced, of course will affect the quality. Moreover, Kenya's excellent washing technology has also deteriorated, which is a killer of quality.

Kenya AA coffee beans Kenya's northern neighbor Arabica coffee tree origin Ethiopia, but as late as the early twentieth century, began to engage in coffee cultivation, the 19th century missionaries introduced Arabica trees from Yemen, but did not plant a large number of coffee, until 1893, and the introduction of Brazil's ancient "bourbon" coffee seeds, coffee cultivation on a large scale. That is, Kenyan coffee today has Brazilian ancestry, and the flavor of Kenyan beans is very different from Brazilian beans due to differences in water, climate and processing methods.

Brazilian coffee is grown at low altitudes, with soft texture and no obvious fruit acid flavor. Kenyan coffee trees, on the other hand, are concentrated on the slopes near Mount Kenya, between 4,000 feet and 6,500 feet above sea level, which is suitable for coffee bean flavor development, because the mountain temperature is lower, the growth is slower, the aromatic components of coffee beans are fully developed, the fruit acid flavor is more obvious, and the texture is harder.

In addition, Kenya was a British colony in the early days, and the British have established a complete system of cultivation and quality control. After Kenya's independence, the coffee industry made great strides on the existing basis and became Kenya's foreign exchange earning industry.

If you know how to brew coffee without knowing how to taste it, the original taste may become tasteless. Some taste coffee is to use the tongue to feel the taste, and some enjoy the kind of aromatic alcohol in the mouth, in addition to this, but also depends on the body when drinking coffee, the surrounding atmosphere and so on. In short, coffee tasting is a very delicate matter.

When drinking coffee in a poor coffee shop, sometimes you will drink nearly half cold coffee. No matter how good the quality of coffee beans is, and how good the brewing skills are, you will lose your appetite for coffee. "Drink hot" is a necessary condition for tasting delicious coffee, even if it is hot coffee in the summer. When coffee is cold, the flavor will be reduced, so when brewing coffee, in order not to reduce the taste of coffee, the coffee cup should be soaked in boiling water in advance. The appropriate temperature of coffee is 83 degrees Celsius at the moment of brewing, 80 degrees Celsius when poured into the cup, and 61-62 degrees when it reaches the mouth, which is ideal.

Taste delicious coffee, in addition to paying attention to the appropriate temperature, but also have the appropriate amount. Drinking coffee is not like drinking wine or juice. A full cup of coffee loses interest after watching it. Ordinary only to seven or eight full for the right amount, moderate amount of coffee will not only stimulate the taste, after drinking there will be no "greasy" feeling, but aftertaste endless. At the same time, the right amount of coffee can moderately promote the body to recover fatigue, and the mind is refreshed.