Tanzania Coffee Beans (Guide and Reviews)

Have you ever tried Tanzania coffee? If not, you’re missing out.

From the sweet, balanced flavours of the coffee of Kilimanjaro to the bright, fruity beans of the Highlands, these coffee beans are an underrated single-origin coffee you need to add to your rotation.

Keep reading for your complete guide on Tanzania coffee.

A complete Guide to Tanzanian Coffee 

The United Republic of Tanzania—or just Tanzania for short—is one of the world’s top coffee-producing countries. With Kenya to its North, Rwanda to its West, and Malawi to its South, Tanzania makes up 885 miles of Africa’s eastern coast along the Indian Ocean. And from the rich, volcanic soil of the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to the fertile Southern Highlands, coffee production has played a huge part in Tanzania’s history.

The Influence of Coffee on Tanzania

Historically, coffee beans found their way to Tanzania via Réunion.

Small family farms produce 95% of the country’s coffee crop. But with the arrival of coffee wilt disease, these small coffee farms have struggled to remain productive (1).

Because agriculture makes up a quarter of Tanzania’s annual gross domestic product, coffee wilt has drastically impacted Tanzania’s coffee production. As of 2013, the country only exported 48,000 tons of African coffee (2).

But exacerbating the effects of climate change are historically low prices for Tanzanian coffees. Organizations like Communal Shamba Coffee and the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute work to find ways to make this industry more sustainable. Established by Tanzanian farmers for coffee farmers, Communal Shamba coffee collaborates specifically with coffee farmers in the Southern Highlands.

Together, they work with smallholder coffee farmers in the Southern Highlands to ensure an international market of coffee roasters and purchasers for their green coffee beans (3).

Growing Regions 

If you enjoy shade-grown coffees for their sweeter, more complex cup, then Tanzanian coffee beans are some of the best in the world.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is located at the northern border of Tanzania, near Kenya, and is the tallest peak on the African continent.

Standing 5,895 metres above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is a stratovolcano made of lava and rock. Its tallest point, Kivo, is a snow-capped peak and is one of three cones that make up the tallest free-standing mountain in the world (4).

Coffee beans cultivated here grow in the shade of banana trees and absorb the rich nutrients in the slopes’ volcanic soil. As a result, these coffee beans are sweet, well-balanced, and pleasantly acidic.

The Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands—which includes the regions of Songwe, Mbeya, and Ruvuma—is home to shade-grown and coffee crops grown in pure-standing rows. Because of the difference in soil composition, the coffee beans produced in these regions are medium-bodied, fruity, and floral.

The Climate

In the Southern Highlands, temperatures range between 10-20 degrees C, and the rainy season falls between October and April each year.

By contrast, except for Mount Kilimanjaro, the temperature in other parts of Tanzania does not usually fall below 20 degrees C. Also, the region extending east from Lake Victoria to the coastline has two rainy seasons per year—one between October and December and the other between March and May.

Arabica coffee beans—which make up 70% of Tanzania’s coffee crops—mostly grow in the Southern Highlands because of the cooler temperatures and single rainfall period. Generally speaking, Arabica coffee bean varieties are more susceptible to changes in climate and require a narrower range of precipitation and temperature.

However, because Robusta coffee beans are hardier, they’re primarily grown in the Kagera region near Lake Victoria. These beans only constitute 30% of Tanzania’s coffee crop.

Tanzania Coffee Harvesting and Processing

According to the Tanzania Coffee Board, farmers harvest coffee between July and December in the northern and southern coffee regions. However, in the western region, near Lake Victoria, coffee cherries are harvested from May through October (5).

Processing Method

Once the coffee cherries are harvested, most of them are wet-processed. In this method, water is used to remove the skin and mucilage, while the parchment and silverskin around the coffee seed remain. The only exception to this rule is the Robusta coffee beans, which make up only 30% of Tanzania’s exported coffee crop, and these are naturally processed to develop flavour.

Whether the beans have been wet or naturally processed, they’re put onto drying beds to dry out completely. Once the beans are completely dried, they can be exported or roasted.

General Cup Profile and Flavour Palate

Like Kenyan and Ethiopian coffees, Tanzanian beans are bold, medium-bodied, fruity, and floral, with a mild sweetness.

Because all the skin and mucilage are removed before roasting, the coffee bean has no added flavours. Essentially, you’re tasting the quality of the bean (6).

In other processing methods—such as natural and honey—the mucilage is left on the bean as it dries. Over time, the sugars ferment and introduce flavours into the bean.

But in the washed method, the only factors impacting the flavour of the final cup are the soil composition, the Arabica variety, and the elevation at which it’s grown.

The Roast Level

Lastly, the roast level of the bean you buy impacts the cup, too.

On the lighter side, the beans will be fruitier, brighter, and more nuanced in flavour because they’ve been exposed to heat for less time. But from medium roast onward, the cup will be more complex with sweeter notes, thanks to the Maillard reaction.

The 3 Best Tanzanian Coffee Beans of 2023

Now that you’ve learned about how and where Tanzanian coffee beans are grown, keep reading for Home Grounds’ picks of the top Tanzanian beans.

image	product	details
Best Overall Best Overall	Volcanica Tanzania Peaberry	Arusha region Medium roast Dried fruit, chocolate, orange	SEE ON AMAZON
Runner Up Runner Up	Beanwise Tanzania Shilanga	Songwe region Medium roast Vanilla, caramel, candy	click to check price
Best Bulk Buy Best Bulk Buy	Level Ground Tanzania	Region not specified Medium or Dark roast Hazelnut, dried fruit, chocolate	Use Code HG10

1. Volcanica Tanzania Peaberry – Best Overall

Specifications

• Coffee Region: Arusha

• Roast Level: Medium
• Tasting Notes: Dried fruit, chocolate, orange

SEE ON AMAZON

With a sweeter and lighter flavour, Peaberry coffee beans are coffee seeds that grow alone in a single coffee cherry. Moreover, the seeds are smaller and lack the flat side you’d typically find in coffee beans, making them roast slightly differently.

Volcanica’s Tanzania Peaberry is a perfect example of these sweet characteristics, with notes of orange and sticky dried fruit balanced by earthy chocolate. These Arusha beans have been sourced from the Nitin Estate in the Ngorongoro Crater – one of the largest inactive volcanic calderas in the world.

2. Beanwise Tanzania Shilanga – Runner Up

Specifications

• Coffee Region: Songwe

• Roast Level: Medium
• Tasting Notes: Vanilla, caramel, candy

Click to Check Price

This top lot Tanzanian coffee comes via the Shilanga Agricultural Marketing Cooperative and Society in the west of the country. Here you’ll find 193 farmers growing coffee on microlots, which is then combined and processed by the cooperative. 

This joint effort has resulted in a coffee that’s sweet and complex. Aromatic vanilla and buttery caramel offer traditional dessert-like flavours, combine with what Beanwise describe as Pez candy notes.

3. Level Ground Tanzania – Best Bulk Buy

Specifications

• Coffee Region: not specified

• Roast Level: Medium or Dark
• Tasting Notes: Hazelnut, dried fruit, chocolate

Use Code HG10

For organic, Fair Trade coffee that’s locally roasted in Canada, Home Grounds is a fan of Level Ground. Their single-origin Tanzania coffee is only available in 5b bags, but worth considering if you can find some friends to share with. This is a high-altitude coffee, grown at 1,300-1,500 m.a.s.l. where it develops a complex flavour profile. Expect overall sweetness with tastes of dried fruit, with some nutty and spiced notes to finish.

The Verdict

Tanzania coffee is an underrated single origin in the specialty coffee world. Tanzanian beans have been underrated for years, now. But it’s time to change that! These fruity, bold, bright, and sweet beans deserve a place in your coffee rotation.