Although we tend to write about coffee from Latin America and especially Colombia, there are other great coffees in the world. Coffee originated in Africa where there are many variety and several popular brands to choose from. While you may still prefer your gourmet Colombian coffee at grocery store prices, from time to time trying another variety or brand of coffee from somewhere else in the world can be an enjoyable experience.
Coffee From Africa
Coffee was first picked and brewed as a drink in Ethiopia (Africa) before it was exported to Yemen across the Red Sea. Today arabica coffee is grown in commercial quantities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. Africa also produces robusta coffee which also originated on the continent. Robusta is grown from Rwanda through Western and Sub-Saharan Africa to as far away as Angola. There are many arabica varieties in East Africa including Yirgacheffe and Sidamo from Ethiopia and Tanzanian peaberry from Tanzania.
A Few African Coffee Brands
There are many famous African coffees. Here are just a handful. Kula coffee is grown in Rwanda on the slopes of Mt. Karisimbi. As a medium-dark roast this coffee has chocolate, sweet, and fruity flavors.
From Kenya the Spring Valley roaster provides Peaberry, Elgon, Zamanee, and Mashariki coffees. Their coffees are generally only found in stores and cafes in Kenya.
An African coffee that can be found in the USA is CxffeBlack, an arabica coffee roasted and sold by a Memphis, Tennessee company which sells it online.
Another African coffee available in the USA is Itadi Coffee from a family farm in Togo in West Africa. This is rich coffee with caramel, spice, and chocolate flavors.
donating a portion of its proceeds to support farmers and communities in Togo. Reviews of Itadi Coffee praise its rich, complex flavor, dark roast coffee, and smooth flavor.
An arabica coffee from the Kenyan highlands is Kahawa with a fruity, bright, and acidic taste. This coffee is available primarily in Kenya.
Boon Boona Coffee in Renton, Washington roasts Arican coffees from small Tanzanian, Kenyan, Ethiopian, and Burundi coffee farms. This company was founded by an Eritrean expat. The coffee is complex with acidic and fruity flavors. Varieties include Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Burundi, and D.R. Congo.
A coffee from Ghana is sold by Bra Fie in London. This coffee comes from small Ghana coffee farms. It is a smooth coffee with hints of citrus and chocolate. It is available in Ghana and London, England. The name means “come home” in the Twi language of Ghana.
For Londoners who want an Ethiopian hand-roasted coffee, Addis in Brixton, offers organic Ethiopian coffees with excellent flavors along with Ethiopian cuisine.
Another London coffee enterprise, Coffee and Fripes offers coffee from Guinea along with world cuisines.
Folks in the USA who want a one stop source for a variety of African coffees can come to Starbucks for their blond espresso roast, spring day blend, or fall blend coffee. These are African coffees although Starbucks does not specify where on the continent the beans were harvested.
How African Coffee and South American Coffee Differ
As a general rule, African coffees are fruitier and more floral and South American coffees are nuttier and more chocolatey. Most South American coffee comes from the Bourbon variety and its offshoots and much more coffee in South America is grown at much higher altitudes than in many parts of Africa.