Why Tanzanian coffee is the best in the world
It’s the first thing you think about in the morning—that nutty aroma emanating from mug of Tanzanian coffee to nostril, that sweet, caffeinated invitation soon to warm your body. The coffee also sharpens your senses to help you keep going every day.
Yes, it’s coffee we speak of.
Without coffee, many of us feel lost at sea, adrift in the doldrums of a foggy mind. No coffee means no momentum. It’s estimated that worldwide humans drink over two billion cups of coffee per day. Two billion (I just spilled my latte writing that). We are currently a species addicted to the dark bean, a simple hot beverage made from roasting and grinding a seed, then bathing it in hot water.
Tanzania’s best kept secret? World-class Tanzanian coffee
Coffee is picky. It can only be grown in equatorial climates at certain temperatures and elevation levels. The more premium coffee beans, like Arabica , are also the most sensitive to climate, soil, and water. So when prime growing conditions are available, coffee can become a cash crop to be exported around the world.
Currently, coffee is Tanzania’s largest export, upwards of 40,000 metric tons grown annually, accounting for about $60 million in revenue each year. The Tanzanian coffee industry employs more than 400,000 families. Tanzania is the fourth largest African producer of coffee, placing them well within the top 20 largest coffee producers on the planet. (Source)
What makes Tanzanian coffee so good?
After arriving into Tanzania for your safari, Kilimanjaro trek or Zanzibar getaway, you will most likely travel through coffee plantations at some point. These rolling green fields boast broad-leafed plants extending as far as the eye can see. But how did Tanzania become such a coffee titan? For this, we have to reach back into the history books.
Humans first consumed coffee around the 15th century in Ethiopia, only several hundred miles north of Tanzania. The plant was used to extend alertness, work longer hours, and for prayer. The plant quickly spread around the world following trade routes.
In the 16th century, coffee starts to be grown in northwestern Tanzania with the Haya tribe, who smoked, boiled, and chewed the stuff, but never drank the dark concoction.
Colonization by the Germans and British accelerated coffee growing techniques in Tanzania, and many tribespeople worked coffee plantations, including the Chagga who live around Mount Kilimanjaro. After Tanzania gained its independence in 1961, the country’s leaders saw promise in its coffee export and doubled down on supporting its economy.
Public management of the coffee industry led to complications and market volatility, and reforms in the early 1990s privatized the industry. Now, over ninety percent of coffee in Tanzania is grown by smallholder farms. Here’s more Tanzanian coffee history:
What does Tanzanian coffee taste like?
The higher quality coffee for which Tanzania is known, Arabica , is famous for its bright acidity and fruity, tart notes. Expect a cup of Tanzanian brew to taste much like Ethiopian or Kenyan coffees (as they all share a common origin). The Tanzania peaberry is a known delicacy for coffee aficionados. (Source)
Can I visit a coffee plantation while visiting Tanzania?
Absolutely. Easy Travel’s headquarters is located in Arusha, ground zero for accessing the country’s finest coffee plantations, on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. We have long-held relationships with coffee farmers, and can facilitate a plantation tour and coffee tasting.
Top places to caffeinate in Tanzania
Here are some of our favorite coffee hangouts in Tanzania:
Union Café – Moshi. This place is classic, a local favorite. Bring a book or journal and plan to spend a few hours sipping local coffee and watching the world pass by.
Zanzibar Coffee House – Stone Town. For any Zanzibar trip, we recommend at least a half day in Stone town. After exploring its labyrinthine streets, you’ll need a caffeinated power-up. Look no further.
Fifi’s Restaurant and Café – Arusha. Well-known spot in the center of town. Great food, pastries, and people watching, too.
Bottom line?
Coffee production in Tanzania
Over the last few years, coffee production in Tanzania has increased, with the country becoming the fourth-largest producer in Africa.
The majority of Tanzania’s coffee regions are located in the highlands on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru in the Northern areas of the country. These regions have nutrient-rich volcanic soil, making them ideal for coffee cultivation.
More so, the majority of coffee crops in Tanzania are shade-grown, planted alongside banana trees.
Generally, Robusta varieties represent 30% of the crops harvested between 700 and 900 meters above sea level. Overall, arabica varieties make up the majority of the country’s crops, representing 70% of the total production.
Arabica varieties are often grown at higher altitudes, allowing the coffee cherries to mature at a slower rate and develop more sugars. When roasting Tanzanian coffee, roasters should keep this variable in mind and develop a profile that highlights the sweetness of the beans.
Tanzania Peaberry coffee is a rare African coffee varietal grown in the Mbeya Region of Southwestern Tanzania and is often highly sought after within the specialty sector.
Usually, coffee cherries contain two seeds or beans that grow opposite each other, creating an elliptical shape with a flat surface. However, in around 5-10% of cases, a defect or natural mutation means that only one of the seeds fertilises.
These are known as peaberry coffee beans and are often in high demand as they tend to develop unique flavour notes.
That said, peaberry beans often have a higher density and can be a challenge to roast. Therefore, it is recommended roasters use a high charge temperature in order to reach first crack faster to avoid baking the coffee.
It is important for roasters to understand how the roasting curve behaves and allow for enough time in the developing phase to achieve an optimal outcome.
One of the most important characteristics that define coffee production in Tanzania is that most of the coffee is wet processed, allowing the coffee to develop a clean and balanced profile.
These are production conditions roasters should take into account when they want to develop a roast profile.
The level of sugars contained in the coffee beans, or the type of process used, can alter the outcome of the roasting process.
A brief history of Tanzanian coffee
Before it was known as Tanzania, the country was called Tanganyika, and it is located close to the birthplace of arabica coffee – Ethiopia.
It is well known that East Africa, and particularly Tanzania, has a long history with coffee. That said, the product was only produced for commercial purposes and integrated into global trade during the early 1900s.
Notably, Tanzania’s coffee production and international integration began when the Germans colonised the region. They promoted the cultivation of arabica coffee in different regions, and from 1905 to 1912, the country’s coffee exports soared.
At the end of the first World War, the British Empire replaced the German colonies across East Africa. While their attempts to expand the coffee industry to increase productivity were unsuccessful, they did not disrupt the stability of the sector.
Then, during the 1960s, the region of Tanganyika gained independence from the British, and the modern Republic of Tanzania was born.
Tanzania began again with a socialist government, and part of the economic strategy was to strengthen the coffee sector by increasing production.
It is important to note these years of independence were a challenge for the country’s coffee industry, as it was plagued by political struggles, high inflation, and slow economic growth.
In time, the coffee industry was privatized, and producers were able to sell their products directly to roasters and other buyers, helping shape the industry seen in the region today.