Tanzanian coffee is bright and complex. Flavor-wise, it is a close relative to the sought after coffee from Ethiopia. Like its neighbors, Rwanda and Burundi, Tanzania has its own gems to offer.
In this guide, we talk about everything you need to know as a home brewer when buying and brewing Tanzanian coffee.
Flavor Notes of Tanzanian Coffee
Many factors determine how a coffee will taste – roast profile, origin, varietals, processing method, etc. Among these, origin is one of the bigger factors to consider. Just like how coffees from different continents have distinct flavors, coffees from different origins / countries will have their own unique flavors as well.
To better describe flavor, taste different coffees side-by-side. Start first by comparing coffees from different continents. Differences will be easier to pick out since many of the other factors that determine flavor will also be different.
For example, a Tanzanian coffee next to a Guatemalan or El Salvadorian coffee would taste citric and tea-like, while the other two might be more rich and chocolatey.
Once you’ve calibrated your palate, try tasting coffees from the same continent side-by-side. Since these countries share common growing conditions, varietals, and processing methods, there will be shared flavors from coffee to coffee.
In this case, all African coffees share fruity and floral characteristics. However, they’ll all have different levels of acidity and sweetness. They will also highlight flavors reminiscent of different kinds of fruit. Compared to Kenya, for example, a coffee from Tanzania will highlight more tea-like characteristics. While the Kenyan coffee will highlight more florality.
Once you’re familiar with each origin, try pinning different coffees from the same country against each other. At this point, there will be more similarities while differences will be nuanced. If you can compare the different processing methods in Tanzania, you’ll notice that the wet-processed coffees are quite tart. While the natural-processed counterparts are more heavy.
Describing Flavor Through Color
If we were to describe the flavor of Tanzanian coffees through color, it would be bright yellow and dark purple – depending on the processing method. Taste notes of tart citrus (usually lime or lemon), and black tea variants are common for their washed coffees. While dark berries and chocolates are common for natural-processed coffees.
Being an African origin, Tanzanian coffees share many flavor characteristics with other coffees of the same continent. This is why we place them on the light side of the color wheel.
Tanzanian Coffee Flavor Profile
Tanzanian coffee shares a similar flavor profile to Ethiopian coffee. Their differences lie in the acidity. For washed coffees, they are more tart than Ethiopian coffees. After Kenya and Burundi, these are next in having the most pronounced acidity.
For the natural-process, however, Tanzania produces richer and less tart coffees than Ethiopia. These coffees from Ethiopia typically have characteristics of ripe berries. Whereas, the ones from Tanzania are like the darker counterparts. They taste a little more like stewed / cooked berries which give them a jammy texture.
What to Know When Buying Tanzanian Coffees
Seasonality: When is This Coffee Most Available?
It’s important to remember that coffee comes from a fruit. Like most fruits, coffees are also seasonal / most available at certain times of the year.
Harvest time in Tanzania is usually between June to September. Give or take, the green beans will normally arrive at roasteries by November. The final roasted coffee is usually most available from December to July.
Common Varietals
Next to origin, varietals play a big role in influencing how a certain coffee will taste. They work hand-in-hand with origin to highlight different aspects of flavor.
Tanzanian producers grow both Robusta and Arabica coffees – with Arabica varietals taking a majority of the production. Some common ones are:
- Bourbon
- Kent
- Typica
- Blue Mountain
- Nyasaland
Nyasaland, and Blue Mountain are strains of the Typica varietal while Kent is a strain of Bourbon. Typica is a varietal known for its acidity, and is Bourbon known for its sweetness.
Growing Regions
Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Moshi are the more well-known growing regions in the country. Coffees from different producers in the Arusha and Mbeya regions have been making strides in the Cup of Excellence – a yearly competition to recognize the best coffees produced across the globe.
Some other growing regions in Tanzania are:
- Mbinga
- Ruvuma
- Iringa
- Mara
- Morogoro
- Mbeya
- Tanga
- Manyara
- Rukwa
- Kigoma
- Kagera
- Bukoba
- Mwanza
Most farms in Tanzania grow their coffees at altitudes between 1,400 meters (4,593 feet) to 1,800 meters (5,905 feet) above sea level. Almost all the coffee from the country qualifies as Strictly High Grown (SHG) coffees.
Coffee Processing
Farms in Tanzania mostly process their coffees in one of two ways:
- Natural / Sun-dried Process
- Washed / Wet Process
Unlike its neighbor origins that primarily wash-process their coffees, Tanzanian producers are fond of using both processing methods. This is another aspect where Tanzania is quite similar to Ethiopia.
Washed / wet processing in a nutshell means soaking the coffee cherry in water until only the coffee beans are left. Processing this way allows the coffee beans to both be uniform and to produce clean tasting coffees that are enjoyable to drink.
On the other hand, natural / dry processing means leaving the coffee cherries to dry under the sun for a number of days. This causes the coffee bean to ferment (while it is still inside the cherry) and absorb more of the sugars from the fruit itself.
Natural-processed coffees can taste more heavy and fruity then their washed counterparts. But this processing can be inconsistent since both bean quality and taste won’t be as uniform. This is the result of some cherries over-fermenting during the drying process.
Coffee Grading
Similar to Kenya, coffee from Tanzania is graded by screen size. From largest to smallest, these are: AA, A, AB, B, C, and PB. This system is convenient for roasters since the green beans will be an even size. Thus, allowing for a more even roast.
AA and Peaberries (PBs) are the most sought after and are priced the highest as green beans. They are also thought to be the best tasting among the grades. However As, and ABs can taste just as good, if not sometimes better in some instances. They do also come out a little cheaper with the final roasted coffee.
Farming Conditions and How They Affect the Cup You Brew
Tanzania is the 4th largest coffee producer in Africa. It ranks at the 18th spot among the coffee producing countries globally. This makes up about 0.6% of the world’s production.
Only 10% of Tanzanian coffee comes from large estates / producers. Everything else comes from small farms. Availability of land is a recurring challenge among coffee producers in Africa. Unlike in Central America where one farmer owns a large piece of land, most farmers in Africa only have small lots of land that they inherit.
Much like other African countries, farmers in Tanzania sell their harvests to cooperatives. These cooperatives are made up of anywhere between 100 to 1,000 farmers. They consolidate all the harvests to sell to either the Tanzania Coffee Board (TCB) auction or direct to exporters. This, however, becomes challenging in terms of quality control and traceability.
The main focus of the coffee auction in Tanzania is volume. Even the higher-priced coffees are not screened meticulously for quality. Because of this, there is less incentive for producers to really push for quality. Adding to this, is that most small-holder farmers in Tanzania do not only grow coffee in their small lots. As a result, intercropping and mismanagement of the coffee trees can be a problem.
Direct trade is still an option for exporters to work more closely with small groups of farmers. However, this has become more difficult in recent times with the TCB’s regulations.
These challenges in terms of regulation and quality have turned many roasters off from buying Tanzanian coffee. It doesn’t help also that it tastes very similar to Ethiopian coffee.
The silver lining with these challenges is the recent entry of the Cup of Excellence into Tanzania. While in fewer numbers, this will at least start to get more producers to focus on producing quality crops.
The more producers can start participating in Tanzania’s Cup of Excellence, the more easy it will be later on to find quality coffees for roasters to sell and for everybody to enjoy.
Brewing Tips for Tanzanian Coffee
Brewing Tanzanian coffees can be a bit tricky. Compared to other origins, you’ll find about an equal amount of washed and natural-processed coffees. While they still contain the characteristic flavors of Tanzanian coffee, they do taste different enough to be brewed in different ways.
Wash-processed Tanzanian coffees are naturally very tart, while the natural-processed ones are a bit heavy for African coffees. The easiest factors to adjust for either coffee would be the brew ratio, water temperature, and the type of brewer used.
Focus on extracting as much sweetness as possible. Longer ratios balance out tart / high-acidity coffees by introducing more sweetness. This is because sweetness extracts towards the end of a brew, while acidity extracts during the early stages.
Higher water temperatures also help bring more sweetness. Temperatures between 94°C (202°F) to 98°C (208°F) would work well for these coffees.
Pour Over
For pour overs, try using a flat bottom dripper to create more balance with the washed coffees. The Kalita Wave, Origami (using a wave filter), and the Blue Bottle Dripper would be good options. For the natural-process, a cone dripper like the Hario V60 or the Origami with a V60 filter will bring out more fruitiness and a juicy texture.
On either coffee a 1 : 16 ratio would work well.
Pour Over Brewing Parameters
- Dose (g): 13
- Grind setting: Medium-coarse
- Total brew time: Between 2:45 and 3:00 minutes
- Pouring intervals: every 40 seconds
- Pouring pattern (ml): 50 – 80 – 80
Pour 50ml in and let the coffee bloom for 40 seconds. Longer blooms help bring out more sweetness. Stirring or swirling the brew is optional for the flat-bottom drippers as long as all the grounds get hit.
After 40 seconds, pour 60ml (target at 110ml) in 4 circles going outward and then the remaining 20ml (target at 130ml) down the center in a steady stream. Do the same pour again at the 1:20 mark. That’s 60ml (target at 190ml) in 4 outward circles and the rest (target at 210ml) down the center. Let everything drain afterwards.
Like other African origins, these coffees are quite dense and will take a little more time to drip through. Instead of grinding very coarse to compensate for the brew time, keep your original grind setting and just give a bit more time for the coffee to drain. Only go coarser if the final cup tastes astringent or bitter.
Immersion Brews
You can use a 1 : 15 ratio for immersion brewers like the French Press or Aeropress. When dialing in your Tanzanian coffee for these methods, take an opposite approach compared to pour overs.
Keep the brew time and agitation fixed but adjust grind size as necessary since these methods work by steeping coffee.
Aeropress Brewing Parameters
- Grind setting: medium-fine (2-3 notches finer than a pour over setting)
- Immersion method: standard method
- No bloom
- Agitation: stir 3 times at the start of the brew and another 3 times before pressing
- Steep time: 1 minute
French Press Brewing Parameters
- Grind setting: medium-coarse (similar to a pour over grind size)
- Agitation: stir 3 times at the start of brew
- Total steep time: 10 minutes
- Notes: skim / remove the crust that forms at the top after 5 minutes, steep for another 5 minutes before pressing
Serve and enjoy!
About the Author
Daniel Yu
Daniel is the head author of Project Barista. Since 2016, he discovered his passion for specialty coffee. His personal mission is to share everything he’s learned over the years.