Uganda, a country on the East part of the African continent, is home to one of the best coffees in the world, placed on the 3rd place, behind Ethiopia and Kenya. Considering this, it is easy to see why coffee crops are not only traditional to this land, but also sacred. Therefore, before it was commercialized, coffee represented a way to make agreements, to welcome visitors, or to celebrate various occasions. Also, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if this coffee actually proved to be one of the best to ever exist.
Interesting facts about Uganda
Even though it is such an important part of the culture, coffee started to be commercialized only in the 19th century, and funny enough, it is not really the main source of earnings for the country, but still a sign of wealth among natives. They also do not consume the coffee the same way we are used to and we dare to say that it isn’t even close. While we extract the beans with hot water to obtain our clean and tasteful beverage, they condiment with salt and a little chilli pepper and steam dry twice the coffee cherries (the fruit), then wrap them in fibres and consume them as a snack, the same way we would eat a protein bar. Another way, which is a bit more similar to coffee as we know it, involves roasting grounded beans on a broken clay pot, then drinking them with hot water. The only missing part is filtering the grounds.
Uganda is also the place where Robusta coffee originated from. It is processed through sun-drying and mainly grown by small-scale producers most often in central plains with low altitudes. Everything happens while the government puts together different campaigns, in order to raise its commercialization around the globe. Arabica coffee, on the other hand, is also present, but in the eastern and western highlands, like the area around the Elgon and Rwenzori mountains. This one is processed with the help of hand pulpers, but there are attempts that go after the modernization of this process, in an eco-friendly way.
What is it like?
From the whole coffee production, about 95% of it is exported, while the rest remains to be locally consumed. In this context, the number of coffee shops keeps rising in various towns and cities around the country, while the practice of drinking coffee becomes more and more popular in both rural and urban households. Even if it may be surprising that it isn’t a more common practice, this is still not hard to believe, considering the high quality of Uganda coffee: full and heavy body, winey acidity and more rustic aspects, as you would rather compare it with Indonesian coffee, than with the citric coffee of Kenya, for example. You can notice a sweet, chocolate flavour and a rich texture- delicious!
One of the most famous types of Ugandan coffee is Bugishu, a plant varietal. It can be found in the northeast part, near the Sipi Falls and sometimes on Mt. Elgon. You can distinguish it through its clean flavour and one of a kind aroma.
Harvest
The harvest periods differ, depending on the coffee type. For Robusta, it is all year round, with peaks in November and February. For Arabica, it is only from October to February. One interesting fact about the harvest in Uganda is that the climate is so favourable there, that many Robusta trees can be found growing in the wild. This is truly a sign that this is the home for this type of coffee, so it is not too likely that you will find better Robusta coffee from anywhere else in the world. Just trust nature, she knows what’s best!
While Ugandan coffee sounds great, sometimes just imagining it is not enough. If you already feel like you need to take a sip of this coffee, don’t worry, there are many places from where you can easily purchase it, like Cafendo or Atlas Coffee, sites specialised in commercializing the best coffees ever found. We heard that the best way to enjoy this type of coffee is through an espresso, so get your tools and skills ready and start brewing!