A coffee that's ethical, fruity and named after a Stevie Wonder song? What else could you need?
This is a natural processed coffee, and easily one of our staff favourites. Most coffees are washed coffees, which tend to provide more bright, acidic flavours. Natural coffees tend to be more unusual, sweet and "funky". They often provide a heavier mouthfeel and fuller body, with sweet and delicate aromas and notes.
One of the defining characteristics of a natural Rwandan coffee is an overwhelming berry flavour, since the coffee seed (bean) is dried while still within the cherry.
On top of being such a fruity and unique cup, this is grown by The Ikizere Women Producers!
More about the Ikizere Women Group (names below):
The Fugi Ikizere group is made up of single mothers, many of whom are widowed, and face the difficult task of navigating a Rwandese society that still struggles with much patriarchal discrimination.
The Ikizere lots represent farmgate prices (what is actually paid to the farmers) that are 50% more than the national average. In order to make an even deeper impact, the women of Ikizere also depulp their coffees by hand together so that they can connect and bond over the similar difficulties many face.
With income from this coffee, Baho Coffee who oversees the processing station and helps support the growers, paid the Ikizere women the highest price of cherries in the country.
Our partners at Baho and Semilla Coffee have also started a Farmer First program that ensures farmers can get second payments throughout the year, so producers and pickers aren't only paid at harvest. It also allows for workarounds for higher payments than the government imposed ceiling allows, and provides micro financing that producers depend on throughout the year. We also send micro financing donations to the farmers in Rwanda that we work with, alongside our partners.
More about the processing method:
This is a naturally processed coffee, which involves spreading the harvested cherries out on drying beds for several weeks with the fruit and skin still intact. The washed process is more common and involves removing the skin of the cherries (known as depulping) before submerging them in water to break down and remove the mucilage (sticky layer around the seed).
This natural process first includes quality control via hand sorting and floating. The good quality cherries selected in this process are stored in bags for 12 hours, allowing the mucilage to stick to the bean.
Cherries are then turned out on to drying tables the following morning, with no more
than 150kg being placed on each table and the cherries are stacked no thicker than
2 to 4 cm depending on the weather.
For the first 5 days, the cherries are turned every hour, while from day 5 to 20, the
coffee are turned every two hours. At the 20th day, the cherries are assessed and if
the weather is hot, they are covered for three to five days, and this process is
repeated until the 45-50th day.
In general, naturals are left to dry for between 50-53 days across all washing stations operated by Baho Coffee. And that's why it's the best!
All 23Ikizere Producers:
The following 23 names are the women who produced and manually depulped this incredible coffee. They are the main reason why this coffee is great:
Costasie Mukamuzima
Epiphanie Ntawangaheza
Theodosie Uwambajimana
Adidja Nyiracumi
Vestine Sindikubwabo
Josephine Uwimana
Bernadette Mukandemera
Christine Utarengejeho
Berancilla Baravuga
Mariam Kabagwira
Verediane Mukamparirwa
Angele Mukanyonga
Venantie Nsaguye
Speciose Nyirantashya
Drocelle Nyirarugwiro
Christine Nyandwi
Alphonsine Mukamugema
Seraphine Mukaremera
Marguerite Niyongere
Venantie Mukakizima
Veronique Niyonizeye
Cecile Nyiraminani
Emerance Hategekimana
Brewing Tips:
ESPRESSO: If wanting to pull this natural coffee as an espresso, we recommend experimentation. Try a 1:3 ratio, and grind a litter finer for a longer shot.
POUR OVER: For a V60, we recommend grinding fine-medium for this roast, 2-3 pours (post bloom). We use a 1:15 for a real velvety cup, or a 1:16/1:17 for a more rounded cup.
FRENCH PRESS: We recommend the James Hoffman method for French press: 1:16.67 ratio // medium grind (not too coarse) // add water, do not stir, brew for 4 minutes // after 4 mins break crust gently, scoop everything off that floats // let sit for another 5-8 minutes // don't press all the way, only use it as a filter at the surface of the brew.
ICED COFFEE: Perfect as a funky and wild pour over flash freeze brew. Use large cocktail ice, lower your brewing ratios and then prepare as you usually would (with the option of adding a bit less water)!
Thank you to our partners at www.Semilla.com for the information contained on this page!
