TANZANIA COFFEE It is interesting to note that coffee plants are the major source of oxygen in the world today. In every hectare of this elliptical, shiny, dark green, and waxy leafed tree, 86 pounds of oxygen of produced daily. Africa is a known large coffee producer in the world giving pounds and pounds of oxygen to mankind. It is also the source of jobs for millions of coffee farm workers and income for the region. Tanzania, with its Tanzanian coffee, is one of the countries in Africa that produce coffee.
Two main species of coffee are cultivated today, these are the Coffea Arabica (Arabica) and the Coffea Canephora (Robusta). Arabica coffee is also called the gourmet coffee because of its excellent perfect taste and it accounts to almost 80% of the worlds production. On the other hand Robusta, compared to Arabica, is higher in caffeine content and inferior in taste. Robusta has found its market in commercial brewing companies where it is commonly used. Tanzanian coffee is Arabican specie, and this coffee is grown in Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. The perfect altitude, climate and fertile volcanic soil of the plantation produce the distinct tasting Tanzanian coffee. It takes four years for a coffee plant to produce the sweet smelling flowers which grow in clusters. Arabica coffees are self pollinating while Robusta coffees are dependent on cross pollination. After about thirty five days the coffee cherry will change its color from green to bright red. Next is harvest season. Tanzania coffee is hand picked and has its initial sorting during the picking. Tanzanian coffee is wet processed and the beans are graded the African method. The largest coffee is graded AA, followed by A and B. Though it has been found that the size doesnt dictate the flavor, it is usually the bigger size that is exported to other places. Tanzania is a country away from the land of the origin of coffee (Ethiopia) and a neighbor to coffee producing Kenya. The land proximity and the geographical location of these African countries made their coffee have that similar sharp and winey acidity. But coffee grown in different locations, as always, will have its own unique character. As for the Tanzania coffee, it has that distinct bright acidity and strong flavor. The Tanzanian peaberry is considered a prized berry because of its unique quality. Regular Tanzanian coffee however is not far from being called the same because they almost have the same distinct character. |
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