1. Kenya
Coffee in Kenya is grown at elevations higher than 6,600 feet above sea level. The type of beans grown in Kenya are called “Kenya AA” and are considered to be some of the world's best coffee beans. The high growing altitudes mean that the beans grow slower than at low altitudes, providing more nutrients and allowing them more time to develop their flavors and mature.
The biggest screen size according to the way coffee is graded in Kenya is the E (Elephant), followed by PB (Peaberry) and AA, which means the green coffee bean is just a little more than one-fourth inch (¼") in diameter.
What is certain, however, is that Kenya AA is one of the finest coffee beans known and also one of the coffees most favored by coffee connoisseurs.
The best Kenya AA coffee is often given a Medium Roast to allow the coffee's natural brightness to shine.
The high plateaus of Kenya produce coffee beans with a full body and rich, strong, flavor with pleasant acidity.
Coffee from Kenya, which does well as a Medium Roast, is great for making a latte, cold brew, and espresso.
2. Ethiopia
Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of coffee. A legend is told of how a goat herder called Kaldi noticed strange behavior in his flock of goats after they ate berries from a certain tree. He took the berries to a monastery and the monks became angry at Kaldi for wasting their time by giving them the beans. They threw them in the fireplace, and soon the aroma from the burning beans became tantalizing. And that is how brewed coffee began!
Ethiopian Coffee Culture
In Ethiopia, there is a respected coffee culture. In fact, they do have an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony which is an integral part of the daily life of most Ethiopians. During the coffee ceremony, the coffee beans are roasted in a flat iron pan or a roasting plate which is placed over a small charcoal stove.
The freshly roasted beans are then placed either onto a wacheff (clay plate) or a margegabia (straw mat) and then carried around so the guests may enjoy the fragrance, using their hands to waft the vapors towards themselves and savor the aromas.
The next step is to crush the beans into small particles—this is done on a stone block or using a mukecha (mortar) and zenezena (pestle). The coffee beans are then placed into the jibuna—an earthen (clay) coffee pot—with boiling water, and at this time a slight amount of spices may be added including cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon.
The pot is then removed from the heat and placed into a matot (woven-straw holder) where the suspended particles in the liquid are allowed to settle. This produces a strong coffee that is served in very small cups with no milk but lots of sugar. Some people in countryside areas like to add salt.
The tiny, handleless porcelain cups, called sini, are put on a wooden tray called a kobot or rekobot (low table), which is set on the floor atop a ceremonial carpet.
According to Ethiopian coffee ceremony tradition, the oldest male is served first as a sign of respect. A total of three rounds of the heavy elixir are served—the first round, called Abol, is the strongest.
According to coffee tradition, it is okay to drink only one cup or three, but not two. The second round, or Hueletanya, is completed after adding more hot water to the ground coffee in the jibuna. The third round is called Sostanya. The youngest child does the serving, symbolizing a connection between all of the generations, though an expert completes the actual pouring of the coffee from a height of about one foot.
Proper pouring is a skill mastered after many years of practice in an effort to display poise and grace while elevating the pot to deliver an uninterrupted thin stream that “rings overjoyed” in the tiny heated cups that are held with great finger dexterity by the recipients.
The Ethiopian Coffee ceremony is a relaxed time when people are able to share stories and feelings and bond with one another or simply sit quietly, though in both cases it is expected that a transformation of the spirit occurs.
There are three distinct coffee growing regions in Ethiopia:
Yirgacheffe
Known for its sweet flavor and aroma with a light to medium body. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is spicy and fragrant and is frequently reviewed and rated as some of the highest quality Arabica coffees in the world.
Yirgacheffe coffee is wet-processed coffee grown at high altitudes and is considered the best high-grown coffee in southern Ethiopia. The high altitude qualifies Yirgacheffes as Strictly High Grown (SHG) / Strictly Hard Bean (SHB) coffees, where coffees grow slowly due to the altitude, allowing additional time for the tree to deliver nutrients to the coffee and develop the best flavors.
Sidama
Sidama coffee undergoes wet-processing and is known for its rich, full body (mouthfeel), sweet and complex flavor, low acidity, floral aroma, and a finish that is bright and soft. A good Sidamo is well-balanced with cupping notes exhibiting berries and citrus (lemony) with complex acidity.
Harrar
Heavy-bodied, spicy and fragrant, Ethiopian Harrar coffee is a wild and exotic dry processed (natural) Arabica coffee that is grown on small farms in the Oromia region (formerly Harrar) in southern Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Harrar coffee is generally highly rated and known for its winey and fruity, floral-toned acidity - bright in the cup, even intense - and tasting notes describe it with a rich and pungent, heady aroma that is reminiscent of blackberries.
3. Tanzania
Somewhat similar to Kenya coffee, Tanzania coffee reviews also exhibits a bright and vibrant, wine-y acidity, sometimes even sharp, and with a deep, rich, and strong taste. Typically with a medium to full body that is intense and creamy, a fine Tanzania coffee has tasting notes of a sweet berry-like, fruity flavor and sometimes notes of cedar.
The aroma of a Tanzania coffee may exhibit a rustic note and sometimes a brown bread sweetness
Although the fruit and acidity vibes are more understated they still shine brightly. Ground, dry Tanzania coffee may present a sweet molasses fragrance that is slightly floral with notes of apple fruit.
When Tanzania coffee is given a Medium Roast it accentuates the herbal-floral scent while a darker roast brings out the berry fruit flavor and a black pepper spice accent in the finish.
Three of the most distinctive coffees of Tanzania are Moshi, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro, all grown on the hills of Mt. Kilimanjaro near the Tanzania's border with Kenya. Tanzania's high elevation qualifies almost all its coffee as Strictly High Grown (SHG). SGH coffees are grown at high altitude which gives them higher quality than other coffees
