Coffee that makes a difference
June 18th, 2019
Landlocked at the crest of the Nile-Congo watershed, Burundi is a small, very hilly and mountainous country between East Africa and Central Africa and situated between Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Dominic Republic of Congo. The quality of coffee exported from Burundi has been compared to the coffee of its neighbour Rwanda.Â
Coffee Cultivation in Burundi began in the 1930s when the Belgians brought Arabica coffee plants. Today more than 800,000 Burundi families are involved in coffee growing. These smallholders average about 250 trees each, with most farms producing other crops or livestock as well. Production in the country struggled for some time due to political instability, but exports are beginning to smooth out.
Most of Burundi’s coffee is grown between 1,250 meters and 2,000 meters above sea level (MASL). The Heirloom coffee varietal, Bourbon, is the main varietal grown in Burundi. Traditionally, coffee cherries are wet processed, however Naturals and honeys are also produced with high quality cup profiles.
Our highlighted coffee - Carire Hill is a Dry Natural processed coffee. The Carire Hill washing station is from the Bugendana - Gitego province. This is the very centre of Burundi, and it is a mountainous area with temperatures ranging from 12 to 18°C on average. Rainfall is lower than in other parts of Burundi, at around 1,100 mm per year.
The Owner of Carire Hill, Cyril, established the washing station in 2016, he has a mission to support and develop the community through coffee in sectors like education, health and diversified income. Aside from providing direct employment to community members with limited employment opportunities, such as persons with disabilities, Cyril runs workshops for the farming community to educate in practices that achieves better cup quality. By doing this, better prices on the international market can be obtained. As such, the small holder farmers respond with maintaining better agricultural practices to enable a specialty grade production of coffee.
This Particular Burundi, Dry Natural Processed coffee for Carire Hill washing station is stunning and complex. It has been roasted to be used in a variety of brew ing styles, whether it is through filter ( V60, Aeropress) or as an espresso. The cup displays notes of Chocolate, red apple, berry, toffee, maple and red fruits.
Cyril, Owner of Carire Hill Washing Station
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