Kenya comes pretty close to a coffee paradise.

Of course, as a coffee lover you can find nice coffee in many countries.

You will understand that it is not easy to choose your preferred country of origin. We won't do that, but let's say Kenya wins quite a lot of points.

 

Coffee regions

The main area is around Mount Kenya and extends almost to the capital Nairobi. There is also a smaller region on the slopes of Mount Elgon, on the border between Uganda and Kenya. The acidic soil in the highlands of central Kenya with just the right amount of sunlight and rainfall provides the perfect conditions for growing coffee plants. The result is that Kenya has the most balanced, but also the most complex types of coffee. The coffee is known for its intense taste and full body: a strong vinous acidity with notes of sweet fruits.

The coffees from the Nyeri region in particular come out of the cup with intense berries, complex fruit and juicy aromas. Nyeri is an area in central Kenya, just over an hour north of Nairobi and overlooking Mount Kenya.

 

Processing

Almost all coffees that come from Kenya are washed. This is done in a unique process in which the coffee beans are soaked in a water bath after pulping, (wet) fermentation and washing, with the coffee sometimes being washed again. It seems that this also contributes to the distinctly fruity and pure character of Kenyan coffee.

 

Auction system

During all these years a structured coffee industry has developed in Kenya. Advanced techniques are used, efficient cooperatives have been developed and export is organized through an open auction.

This auction system is probably key to the success of Kenyan coffee. Before the auction, a sample of the coffee will be distributed to potential bidders. The bidders can then test the coffee beans in detail and decide whether they are interested in buying. Because of this transparency, buyers tend to pay a higher price for a higher quality coffee bean.

The farmers, corporations and washing stations are motivated to produce the best quality coffee, because up to 80% of the yield goes back to the farmer. The prices paid for fine Kenyan coffee are consistently the highest in the world, up to ten times the market price.

So we're not the only Kenya fans!

 

Kenya AA

Although Kenya AA is known as a type of coffee, it is a classification of the Kenyan coffee beans. One of the quality aspects is the size of the coffee beans. This is divided into screens. Up to screen 15 (screen 12 to 15) is a small bean, screens above (screen 16 to 18) represent the beautiful quality bean. Sieve 15 is used for the average coffee from industrial roasters. Coffee beans with a sieve of 17 or 18 are rated AA, the largest bean. That makes coffee one of the most popular coffees in the world.

Did you know that tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water? There is always a taste that suits you, choose from a rich selection of teas.

The production of black tea in Africa did not begin until the beginning of the 20th century. Especially from Kenya there are fragrant and strong teas, strong and light teas with lots of tip. The Kenyan tea is full and sweet in taste for the whole day.