As we all know from the story of Kaldi and his dancing goats, coffee originated in Africa, in Ethiopia to be more specific. Why then am I amazed at the infancy and the new hope that I felt among the participants of the EAFCA conference this year in Arusha, Tanzania, at the base of Kilimanjaro?

The newness is specialty coffee returning home. Yes, we all know that Kenyans are specialty, and fine Ethiopians have been coming out for a long time, but in many parts of Africa the very concept of boutique coffees is just starting. This is an undiscovered continent, even though coffee has been cultivated here for centuries.

At the cupping pavilion, there were coffees from Madagascar and Malawi alongside old favorites, like Kenya and Ethiopia. There is even coffee grown in South Africa and Zanzibar. The latter I had while on vacation; it had been grown at an altitude of 20 meters. (The cardamom and cinnamon brewed with the coffee were not only exotic, but quite necessary!) Many of the coffees we cupped at the pavilion were not quite ready for prime time, but they had potential, they truly had some amazing potential.

While we all rhapsodize about farmers cupping their own coffee, we have to be realistic and realize that many small subsistence farmers aren’t cupping, and aren’t going to cup. It quite simply does not make sense for a small farmer with 15 coffee trees to cup. All hope is not lost, however, as the market develops for these coffees, cupping is being instituted at the mill level. In late July or early August, I am planning on returning to a co-op to cup all the small regions and help separate out what we are bringing in at a nice premium to the standard “washed African” market the rest of the coffee has been dumped into.

Sitting at a table at dinner one night, and talking about a Malawi that we bring in, a member of the Malawi coffee board said, “You sell the coffees as Malawi? When you are over cupping, will you give a presentation about this to our members?” Not that all coffee can be sold as boutique or specialty coffee, but just the idea that some of their coffee can be specialty coffee was almost foreign, it seemed. The Malawi that we have brought in the last three years is grown at 2000 meters, with some very nice varietals that, until quite recently, were all blended together with Catimors and other less-than-yummy variatiels (the Malawi just arrived at our warehouse, FYI).

Wow, 2000 meters, many amazing varieties, volcanic soil, and now, better processing facilities. What is the limit to the potential here for these coffees? If we can separate out top lots and pay a premium for these, and especially if we do not degrade the remainders that are sold as just washed coffee, what’s not to like?

After the conference, I went to Zanzibar to dive and explore, and as I was sitting, watching dhows (small sail boats) go up the coast, as they have for hundreds of years, carrying goods including coffee, I thought about the old ways of coffee in Africa, and the new beginnings and could not help but smile. (I was also on vacation, and it was 88 degrees and sunny; it’s now 35 degrees and grey in Saint Paul.) But even with this obvious setting, the new potential and exploration in the old world of coffee fills me with excitement.

—Jason Long (Jason@cafeimports.com)