We rarely carry coffee from Malawi, but it has solid coffee quality potential. So why have we not offered it? The reasons indicate some of the pros and cons of this coffee-producing originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, “I was just at origin.” Of course “Origin” for most product we use is not… …more.
Malawi is a country in southeastern Africa. Coffee was brought to the region in the 1800s by missionaries and planted mostly in the southern regions, which is still the case today.
What started as mainly a small-holder system, is now split between small farmers selling their coffee to cooperatives, and a few larger estates who process their own coffee, as well as buy from local farmers. Sable Farms is one such estateA “coffee estate” is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does… …more, and one of the larger exporters of coffee in the country.
Elevation in the country is much lower than neighboring Tanzania, and lower elevation (800 – 1200 meters) means the coffee is more susceptible to diseases like “La Roya”, and you see disease resistant strains like CatimorAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely… …more planted alongside CaturraCatuai is a high-yield Arabica cultivar resulting from a cross of Mundo Novo and yellow Caturra. The tree is short, with lateral branches forming close angles to the… …more and Catuai trees.
The main issue with Malwai green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,… …more quality is separating the coffee varieties. There is a mix of CaturraCaturra is an Arabica cultivar discovered as a natural mutant of Bourbon in Brazil in the first decade of the 20th century, but wasn’t studied until 1937. It… …more, Catuai and CatimorKomasti is a disease resistant hybrid in Indonesia- (Composite Andungsari 3). This is an improved catimor variety released in 2013. The genotypes were obtained from the results of… …more, as well as some GeshaGesha is a long-bean Ethiopia selection with unique cup character. Gesha is the name of the town in Western Ethiopia where the original samples were collected. Spelling it… …more coffee. The problem is mostly with the mix of catimor that can find its way into lots, and the slightly rough impression it leaves.
As far as the Gesha we have tasted, we really couldn’t be sure it was Gesha at all. It certainly did not have the aromatics and flavors we associate with that varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies… …more.
But it does seem the quality potential is there, and we hope to have more Malawi coffee to offer in the near future!
We don’t often stock this origin, but check the green coffee list at Sweet Maria’s to see if we have it on offer!
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We don’t often stock this origin, but check the green coffee list at Sweet Maria’s to see if we have it on offer!
