Discover the finest African coffee

It’s no secret that Africa is the birthplace of coffee which can be traced back to the ancient region of Ethiopia called Kaffa. Legend states that the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of coffee  beans, noticing his goats getting energetic after consuming berries from a particular tree.

Naturally Ethiopia is the largest coffee producer in Africa with a coffee industry that accounts for up to 70% of foreign income with estimates of 15 million people working in this industry.

Although east African countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda ) are recognised as established coffee growing regions with great quality and tasting notes countries such as Malawi, Zambia, the democratic republic of Congo all now have established export markets.

Two main coffee types are grown in Africa, arabica and robusta. There are a number of distinct differences between arabica and robusta beans from the shape of the bean to the sweetness. The two main distinct differences borders on where they grow and the caffeine content which greatly affects the taste.

Arabica requires a steady growing environment consisting of warm days and cooler nights around18-22°C with volcanic soil being the ideal ingredient for growing the best arabica species which is abundant in some African regions particularly parts of east Africa.

Arabica beans are mainly grown in east and central Africa, are sweeter and are known to have tones of fruit, florals, chocolate and nuts.

Robusta on the other hand grows in lower altitudes and are much more hardy plants, resistant to weather, disease  and require less maintenance. Unlike arabica, they produce fruit much quicker and have double the caffeine content of arabica beans. This isn’t necessarily a good thing as it tends to have a bitter and harsher taste for this reason.

Arabica coffees are undoubtably the finer and most preferred coffee out of the two with a global consumption accounting for over 60%.

African coffees are highly revered for their diverse flavours which are not found anywhere else. What makes the continents coffee unique is the wide ranging distinct flavour profiles, satisfying aroma and wide ranging tasting notes.

In summary, Africa has a rich and sumptuous coffee offering ready to be explored. What are you waiting for, adventure awaits!

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