Arabica coffee

Rwandan Bourbon arabica, grown on the slopes of the thousand hills, is considered one of Africa’s finest coffees.

An evergreen shrub from the montane forests of Ethiopia, growing to 5 m, with glossy leaves and fragrant white flowers. Its fruits ripen to red and usually contain two seeds each – the coffee beans. It gives the best quality at 1,500–2,000 m, in a cool climate with well-spread rainfall, where the fruits ripen slowly. Arabica has a mild, aromatic flavour and contains less caffeine than robusta.

Significance in the country

Coffee was brought to Rwanda by German missionaries in the early 20th century; after 1994 a network of coffee washing stations allowed smallholders to switch to speciality coffee, and coffee became one of the main exports and a symbol of the country’s rebuilding.

Where it grows

Grown on hills throughout the country; the best coffees come from around Lake Kivu (Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Karongi), the Southern Province (Huye, Nyamagabe) and the north around Gakenke.

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