In KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... ...more, Mbuni is the term for natural, dry-processed coffees. Mbuni grade is specifically low grade coffee, often picked when the cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or... ...more is green and unripe, or dried and overripe. They are often harvested at the end of the season and sell for much less than red ripe cherry which are typically used to produce the high grade wet-processed coffee for which Kenya is known.
There are efforts now to produce high grade dry processDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... ...more lots in Kenya, made from hand-selected ripe red coffee cherries, and carefully dried on raised bedsRaised beds, also referred to as "african-style beds" are elevated beds used for drying coffee when dry-processing.: Raised beds, also referred to as "african-style beds" are elevated beds... ...more like the best washed coffees are. But to some degree, the term Mbuni still refers to the commercial low grade natural coffee, since that is the term traders in the auction use to buy and sell this coffee at commercial level prices.
The photo shows typical Mbuni coffee, overdried and green, that goes to the commercial quality lots. Mbuni is spelled M’buni or Buni, this is a Swahili term that refers to dry-process coffee.