Several years ago, we featured a coffee from Tanzania that both longtime Andytown employees and customers still reminisce about. It was a coffee that turned heads on the cupping table: not the kind that commanded attention immediately, but the kind that drew folks back around for another pass because they would discover a new flavor after each sip! We always wanted to get it back, but the coffee wasn’t available in the following years–we couldn’t find it anywhere. Although we may never find it again (it’s likely that the coffee is being sold outside the US market), we found a lovely Tanzanian coffee that is just as zesty!
This coffee comes from the Shilanga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (ACMOS), located in the Songwe region of Tanzania. It’s composed of 193 farmers from the villages of Shilanga, Shinola, Wely, Igale, and Ichesa. The co-op was founded in 1993, and for a decade, farmers would process their cherries at home and would bring coffees in parchment to the co-op. Over the years, the group has been able to improve the quality of their coffees through the use of a coffee pulper purchased in 2013 and a Penagos ecopulper in 2019. The latter reduces wastewater and enhances coffee quality.
Some members of the Shilanga AMCOS team, from left to right: Juma Sadiki, Martin Mkondya, Musa Mgunda, Franck Ndotela, Julius Wairod, Zacharia Wilson, Emanuel Musa and Patrick Mwanachimbo. Photo by InterAmerican Coffee
During harvest, farmers deliver cherries throughout the afternoon, and the pulper is in use from early evening through midnight. The beans are then sorted using washing channels and are fermented without water for 24-36 hours. Using water from the Ruanda River, the beans are washed and soaked for 8 hours before drying on raised beds for 7 to 14 days.
This refreshing and dynamic coffee lives up to the classic Tanzanian profile. It reminds us of pomegranate, chewy caramel, and dried cranberry, but when we brewed this on the heavier side, we also tasted golden raisins and lemongrass. Like the Tanzanian offering we had years prior, this one by Shilanga ACMOS opens up as it cools. Make sure you give yourself a little extra time to sip and savor all of the flavors that shine through!
