Coffee arrived in Burundi in the course of the 1920s. To this day, however, the high level of poverty in the country makes it difficult to cultivate coffee bushes on a large scale. The basic climatic conditions are ideal for this purpose: the entire country is crisscrossed by a plateau on which a tropical climate prevails. Gitega, Ngozi, Bururi, Ruyigi and Rutana are the most important coffee growing areas. The Arabica varieties Mibirizi, Jackson and Bourbon are predominantly grown on small plantations at an altitude of 1,200 to 2,000 meters. Due to the simple lack of financial resources for fertilizers and pesticides, coffee cultivation in Burundi is predominantly organic.
Coffee from Burundi is defined by its sustained acidity as well as its strong, spicy flavor. Its notes range from floral and lemon to nutty and chocolate. Often, the beans have a berry aroma.
