Tanzania washed Arabica AA South, Isaiso RAC (IP/MI)

Tanzania stuns with a broad mix of wildlife, cultural abundance, and natural superlatives. Today, about 38% of the country‘s territory is official national parks or conservation areas. Add to that a spectacular coastline and the snow-peaked Kilimanjaro in the north. Amidst this diversity, some of the finest African coffees with complex cups are found here. Tanzanian Arabica coffee production is mostly found around Kilimanjaro in the north and the southern highlands of Mbeya.

The Mbeya region in the southwest is known for its fertile soils, resulting in high-class coffee, cacao, tea, and spices. Being a rather remote and not-so-developed area, Mbeya has a unique feature. Here, coffee is grown on high plateaus instead of steep slopes. The farmers in this region encounter intense sunshine during summer but also heavy rainfalls during winter times.

These farmers usually grow around 2 hectares of coffee and cultivate corn and soy for their own needs as well. Coffee production is still manual labor, ensuring that only the ripest cherries are hand-picked. The farmers then deliver the cherries to the so-called “Central Pulping Units” (CPU), small washing stations owned and operated by 10-80 farmers from the Isaiso AMCOS (Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society). The Isaiso AMCOS is well known for having won the Tanzanian National Coffee Quality Competition. The cooperatives receive regular training on agronomy, focusing on improving the coffee and processing quality. This coffee from South Mbeya is doubtlessly a handcrafted coffee where the hard labor is reflected in a fine cup with intense notes.