Tanzania - March '24 Coffee of the Month

Origin: Tanzania

Flavor: Raspberry, Honey, Star Fruit, Black Tea

About the Coffee:

Geography: Region Songwe, Mbzi District
Altitude: 1450-1850 masl
Producer: GD Mwangoka Farm, Grivas D. Mwangoka
Variety: Bourbon, Compact
Processing: Natural

From Genuine Origin Website:
Tanzania Natural Green Coffee Beans

Only around 5% of Tanzania green coffee is grown on large estates, and GDM Farm is one of the very few Tanzanian-owned properties in the Mbozi area. The farm is situated at an altitude of 1980msl in the southern highlands near the Mbozi meteorite that was discovered in the 1930s.

The Grivas family purchased GDM in 2000, and Richard Grivas, son of the estate’s founding father, now supervises the farm. For the past 20+ years, GDM has employed over 200 seasonal workers and supported local smallholders in the surrounding area. Richard has his sights on taking coffee quality a step further with unusual processing methods rarely applied to Tanzania coffee. This natural or dry process green coffee offers roasters a taste of what Tanzania has to offer.

GDM spans 400 hectares and primarily cultivates Bourbon and compact coffee trees. Cherries are hand-picked and hand-sorted for ripeness, then dried on raised beds for around 21 days. There is also a dry mill on the estate where workers deliver dried cherries for further processing.

Tanzania Raw Coffee Production

Tanzania is one of the largest countries in Africa by area, and its annual Arabica coffee production is around 650,000 bags – as much as its better-known neighbor, Kenya. However, Tanzania has long been in the shadow of the countries it borders.