Masha BURUNDI
raspberries ∙ marshmallows ∙ raisins
Our first Burundi coffee shows so much lovely fruity notes that it reminds us of a Kenyan. In addition to the excellent work of producers it’s the quality focused, multiple-time Cup of Excellence selected Masha washing station who’s responsible for this lovely coffee. It consists of Bourbon variety only.
B
urundi is a landlocked country in Central Africa bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. Coffee is Burundi’s biggest export revenue earner, making up as high as 80% of its earnings. Forty percent of the population, i.e. about 600 000 families are involved in coffee production. Burundi has invested heavily into this sector with the help of the World Bank, and the county has embarked on the ambitious program of setting up coffee washing stations and planting new coffee trees. A total of 133 new washing stations have been built all over the country, so currently there are about 160 of them in Burundi including Masha, where this coffee comes from. The individual washing stations can process coffees coming from different farms separately, and then sell the individual lots as “day lots”, or processing batches. Burundi’s climate is predominantly equatorial, but the mountainous regions, where coffee is grown, enjoy a moderate climate. Average temperatures vary from 17 to 23 °C and there are two seasons: wet and dry. The temperature and the country’s agroecology make Burundi an ideal environment for coffee growing. There are two harvesting periods: the main harvest is from February to March while the secondary harvest is between April and May. This lot was harvested during the first week of May, 2014.
Masha, where this coffee comes from, has won several awards in Burundi’s inaugural Cup of Excellence in 2012 and 2014. Excellent soil conditions, good altitudes, ripe cherry selection and a good source of water are some of reasons why this farm has been so successful according to Pierre Claver Nyakanga, Masha’s manager. A monitoring system ensures traceability throughout the whole manufacturing process including cherry collection, pulping, fermentation, sugar removal, drying and storage. The wet mill is located in the Kayanza province at 90 km from the capital city of Bujumbura. It has about 170 drying tables and can process around 390 tons of coffee every year. Masha’s mission is to support all their 700 coffee farmers with seedling and agricultural know-how enabling them to increase their productivity and aims to involve them in the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN).
... To achieve the best taste experience possible use soft water and freshly ground coffee. Let it rest for a week after roasting but consume it within one month. Enjoy! the Casino Mocca team
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