Congo South Kivu Kalehe Washed A1

 Coffee was previously a major contributor to the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) economy; the Eastern DRC was even described as a "coffee paradise." Unfortunately, the country's gloomy colonial history, followed by waves of political unrest, hindered the country's coffee sector's growth.

Even as specialty coffees production gain traction in many coffee producing countries, coffees from Congo are still rare, not to mention specialty grade ones.

Congo coffee is making a comeback recently, thanks to investments from both the private and public sectors. We feel the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country that deserves attention as it continues to develop the infrastructure and knowledge required for specialty coffee production.

At The Crackpots, we always try to help beginners and advanced drinkers alike to understand more about coffees. One of our efforts is to explain the various cryptic names of coffees which could be confusing.

Here’s a breakdown of this coffee:

Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as Congo-Kinshasa and formerly known as Zaire, is a country in Central Africa.

South Kivu

South Kivu (Swahili: Jimbo la Kivu Kusini; French: Sud-Kivu) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu.

Kalehe

Kalehe Territory is a territory in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its administrative centre is the town of Kalehe on the western shore of Lake Kivu.

Washed A1

Washed means all flesh, mucilage and skins of the coffees are removed mechanically immediately after plucking; they are then washed before drying. This removes any impurities and makes the coffee taste cleaner.