Burundi – Gakenke

ORIGIN

Burundi – Gakenke

Gakenke Washing Station is located in Kayanza, Burundi, and has been working with small-scale coffee farmers since 1991. Approximately 2,600 producers deliver their coffee cherries to the station. Most farmers grow coffee on very small plots alongside crops such as bananas, beans, cassava, and yams. In Burundi, washing stations play a central role in coffee production because most farmers do not have the space or resources to process their coffee themselves.

At Gakenke, freshly harvested coffee cherries are carefully sorted and centrally processed to ensure consistent quality. This collective approach enables small-scale producers to contribute to high-quality coffee lots while also improving traceability and processing standards in the region.

Kayanza’s high elevation and cool climate allow the coffee cherries to ripen slowly. This contributes to the lively and refined character for which Burundian coffees are known.

Here’s how we prepare this coffee!

The recipe for the perfect espresso depends on many factors: machine, grinder, water, portafilter basket, beans, etc. At our bar in The Hague, we usually start with this recipe:

19 grams of coffee for an output of 45 grams of espresso (double espresso).

We start with a 25-second extraction time.