Rwanda Vunga Washed Red Bourbon Coffee

The Rwanda Vunga we sourced via Zuka Green.

History of Rwanda Specialty Coffee

The journey of coffee in Rwanda began in the early 1900s when German missionaries introduced coffee plants to the region. However, it wasn’t until the 21st century that Rwandan coffee gained international acclaim. The coffee industry faced significant challenges, including the 1994 genocide and the crash of the international coffee market. Despite these hardships, Rwanda has emerged as a producer of quality specialty coffee, thanks to strategic planning, educational projects, and committed leadership.

For us at Quaffee, we have experienced a varied quality from Rwanda, and have been very selective about the coffee we offer from Rwanda. We have been convinced by Zuka’s experience to once again offer a Rwandan, hoping it will be the beginning of a new strong relationship.

Muraho Trading Company (MTCo.)

Muraho Trading Company (MTCo.) was founded by two brothers who grew up in Rwanda. Their aim, to showcase Rwanda’s specialty coffee to the world, highlighting not only the coffee but also the people and the country that have given them so much. Rwanda has made significant progress since the horrific genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, transforming into a thriving nation. This remarkable turnaround is a testament to the resilience of the Rwandese people and symbolizes hope for the world.

Vunga Cooperative

The Vunga Cooperative is a specialty coffee cooperative located in the Nyabihu District of northwestern Rwanda, near the borders of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It has become well known in the specialty coffee industry for producing high-quality washed Red Bourbon coffees and for its strong focus on women’s leadership and farmer development. [8thandroast.com],

One of the most notable aspects of Vunga is that it is led by Daphrose Uwimana, one of the few women in Rwanda to own and manage both a coffee cooperative and its washing station. She founded the cooperative in 2009 and has been instrumental in building a close-knit farming community and mentoring women coffee producers.

Coffee Processing

1. Cherry Sorting: Workers hand-sort all cherries before a pre-pulp float, removing underripe or damaged cherries and any foreign objects.
2. Floating and Pulping: Cherries float in pre-pulping tanks to remove any floaters before pulping.
3. Fermentation: Coffee ferments in dedicated concrete tanks for about 12 hours, with frequent agitation to encourage lower density parchment to float and clean off residual mucilage.
4. Grading: After fermentation, coffee moves to a large serpentine grading channel, separating parchment into different density grades.
5. Post-Wash Rinse: The parchment receives a final rinse before moving to a pre-drying area.
6. Pre-Drying Sorting: Workers hand-sort the parchment to remove any insect-damaged, discoloured, or chipped coffee.
7. Drying: The parchment dries and is turned regularly throughout the day for 30 days.

Details of Rwanda Vunga Washed

Here are the details of this coffee:

Region: Nyabihu District, Rwanda. Farmers: Approximately 260 smallholder farmers. Ave Farm size: 1 ha. Cultivar: 100% Arabica Red Bourbon. Altitude: 1,1450- 1,600 masl. Processing: Fully washed, and dried on raised and covered beds. Packaging: GrainPro in Hessian Characteristics: Berry juice, white sugar with a mild molasses finish. Roast used: Flame throughtout the roast until first crack where the development is extended. Roast degree: Light – using my-tonino.com

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Starting brews

Brew Method	Ratio		Brew Method	Ratio
Espresso	1:2.1		AeroPress	17g:200g
Plunger	50g:800g		Pour over/filter	20g:300g

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Transparency Information

Sourced from	Zuka Green.
FOB price	3.86U$D / lb FOT; 3.96 U$D / lb FOB
Cupping score	83.5 (ours)
Producer / Organisation	Vunga Cooperative
lot size bought	We initially purchased 60kgs. Since then we have purchase 2 more bags, with more on its was
Relationship	Second time we have offered coffee from this cooperative.

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Sources

• James Hoffman’s Atlas of coffee.
• Zuka Green notes provided.