Tansania Kilimandscharo

Origin of Coffee from Tanzania

• Country: Tanzania
• Region: Arusha Region
• Growing altitude: 1200 – 1600 m
• Growing method: intercropped with bananas and grevillea
• Topography: volcanic slopes in the highlands
• Soil: volcanic
• Temperature: 12 – 26 degrees
• Humidity: approx. 70%

Tanzania AA Profile

• Botanical species: Arabica
• Quality: AA
• Varieties: Kent, Bourbon
• Harvest season: August – October
• Harvest method: selective hand-picking
• Processing: washed
• Bean size: 18+

Tasting Notes

• Aroma: fruity
• Flavor: spicy
• Acidity: citrusy
• Finish: caramel

Coffee from Tanzania's Arusha Region

The Arusha Region in Tanzania lies southwest of Kilimanjaro at an altitude of about 1,400 m. It was named after the city of Arusha, which is 90 km from the summit of Kilimanjaro. Directly to the north stretches Arusha National Park, which borders the currently dormant volcano Mount Meru. Thanks to the volcanic soils at the foot of Kilimanjaro, the slopes offer ideal conditions for growing coffee plants.

The region's distinctive climate, with temperatures between 12 and 26 degrees and humidity of around 70%, also contributes to the excellent quality of the coffee grown there. Arusha produces outstanding coffee, including coffee graded AA—the highest quality grade for coffee from Tanzania.

The coffee is harvested in August, September, and October, with careful hand-picking. Only ripe coffee cherries are picked from the bushes, optimizing the coffee's quality. Because a coffee bush can bear ripe and unripe cherries at the same time, farmers must visit the bushes several times—about two or three times during the harvest season. After harvesting, the coffee beans are wet processed, which preserves more fruit acids in the coffee compared with other methods.

Once the coffee has been dried, it is sorted according to various criteria, such as size, weight, color, and any defects. AA denotes the highest quality. The letter grading system (AA, AB, etc.) is typical of African coffee.