Tanzania's coffee production industry ranks 19th among the world's leading coffee industries. Tanzania produced about 55 million kilograms of coffee beans in 2006. Coffee exports bring more than $60 million a year to the country's economy. Although coffee has a long history in East Africa, it was not widely grown in what is now Tanzania until the early 1900s.
brief history
It is possible that coffee originally came to modern Tanzania via Ethiopia in the 16th century. Instead of being brewed in a beverage, coffee beans were first consumed as an incentive. The Haya tribe began using coffee beans as currency, and only chieftains could afford to grow coffee.
Coffee was first grown as a commercial crop when Tanzania was colonized by the Germans. The Germans reduced the influence of tribal leaders on coffee production, allowing coffee plantations to spread over a larger area. Tanzania's coffee exports nearly tripled between 1905 and 1912.
After the Second World War, the British took control of what is now Tanzania and embarked on a plan to plant more than ten million coffee trees to increase the value of the occupied territory. In 1925, a region of Tanzania exported 6,000 tons of coffee. The first coffee cooperative in Tanzania would be set up by these growers to negotiate a better price for them.
Features of coffee production in Tanzania
About 70% of the coffee produced in Tanzania is Arabica, and most is grown at high altitudes such as Mount Kilimanjaro. Sturdy trees are often planted at a lower elevation near Lake Victoria. Small farmers grow most of Tanzania's coffee, and 95% of the country's coffee farmers produce less than five acres. The quality of this coffee is often too low to be sold in premium markets. Also, the fruit volume produced by a typical Tanzanian coffee tree is quite modest. These factors combine to make growing coffee in Tanzania a difficult undertaking.
Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru offer the best quality coffee. Arusha, Moshi and Kilimanjaro are the brands that these coffees were sold later.
Dry-processed coffee is grown in western Tanzania, while wet-processed coffee is grown in the rest of the country. Tanzanian coffee beans exported to the specialty coffee market are mostly processed as wet. Most of the coffee processed in Tanzania is exported, as the coffee roasting and grinding companies are owned by foreign investors. There are various prospects for both domestic and foreign investors to make coffee a competitive culture in Tanzania and a challenge for investors who want to access this market. Arabica coffee beans make up 70% of the coffee grown in Tanzania, while Robusta makes up the remaining 30%.
Peaberry variety
Peaberry coffee beans are the best known and most popular in Tanzania. Although cultivated elsewhere in the world, Tanzania is the country that created this coffee bean variety, Tanzanian coffee and the Peaberry variety are practically inextricably linked.
Coffee berries usually contain two seeds or seeds, one flat and the other round. In the case of the peaberry fruit only one seed is fertilized. This variety produces a single spherical shaped seed with a ridge running through it.
Some people think that peaberry fruits are better in quality and taste than traditional flat fruits. There are two reasons for this: The aromatic power of a single coffee bean is equal to that of two coffee beans, and the round shape of the beans provides a more homogeneous roast. While the first idea cannot be fully supported by well-articulated arguments, it is more of an ongoing story among people, but it is true that, with no scientific backing, the spherical shape of the grains helps frying. The perception that this type of coffee is of very good quality is most likely the result of a more rigorous separation process than that used to separate ordinary coffee beans.
aromatic profile
A cup of coffee from Tanzanian beans will not taste the same as a cup of coffee from ordinary beans, even if the beans come from the same tree. Tanzanian coffee is known for its high acidity and density. Coffee, on the other hand, has a medium body and is best drunk at a medium roast level.
It has a deep aroma with Tanzanian coffee beans, intense chocolate notes, black fruit notes such as currants and a light and sweet aftertaste. Along with floral notes, traces of citrus, coconut and pineapple can also be found.
Tanzania's Peaberry variety, like most African coffees, can be served hot or cold, from an espresso cup to a cold brew. A delicious cup of coffee made from beans originating from Tanzania, as well as a variety of fruits whose aroma can perfectly combine with the delicate notes of Tanzanian coffee. We can call it a snack. The potential of this Tanzanian industry is still expanding, so the evolution of the Tanzanian coffee industry is worth following in the future.
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