The cocoa

Tanzania; The Kilombero Valley, Morogoro Region

Flavor notes: earthy and round, like a brownie with fresh notes like apple and citrus!

Kilombero is bordered on one side by the Udzungwa mountains, part of which is protected by a national park.

The founders of Kokoa Kamili were international development professionals who were frustrated by the top-down approach of many organizations. They decided that the most immediate form of benefit to the communities they work with would be to pay high prices for their products. This would allow farmers to decide for themselves how best to use this extra income. On average, farmers receive about 25% more payment for their cocoa from Kokoa Kamili.

Kokoa Kamili distributes seedlings to farmers as donations or at a low price, and provides training to farmers to help increase both the yield and quality of the cocoa they grow.

The Chocolate Maker

This is a collaboration with Mark Schimmel of Krak Chocolade. An oasis of artisanal chocolate made with passion and precision. At the heart of our story is Mark Schimmel, an esteemed pastry chef whose love for chocolate led him to pursue the art of chocolate making. Mark’s journey began in the prestigious three-star Michelin kitchens, and when he rose to the position of head pastry chef at a two-star Michelin restaurant in the Netherlands, his fascination with chocolate only grew.

The coffee

Kenya Kiamabara

Flavour notes: tomato, green, vegetable, Unami

Mugaga farmers cooperative association is located in Central Province, Nyeri District in Konyu location of Mathira Division near Gachuko city. It rests on a piece of land serving the villages of Gathugu, Gatina, Kieni and Kagumoini and Kiamabara. Membership currently includes Gathugu factory, Kieni factory, Kagumoini factory, Kiamabara factory and Gatina factory. In 2005, it merged with Gatina to form Mugaga fcs, which led to a cooperative of 5 factories.

The farmers’ cooperative society is located about 1600m above sea level. The area experiences high bimodal rainfall of about 1200 mm p.a. with temperatures between 13-25 degrees Celsius. The long rainfall falls between March-May, while the short rainfall comes between October and December.

In line with the increasing awareness of the need to preserve the environment, the plant has initiated a number of projects, including the wastewater soaking wells, of which the plant has 3. Here the water is allowed to soak back to the ground.

After harvesting, all the coffee is delivered to the factory and undergoes the wet processing method.

After pulping, the coffee is stored overnight, washed, soaked and spread on the drying tables.

Colombia

Taste notes: dark chocolate, cherry, orange

For our Colombian coffee we work together with Avian Coffee, a small Colombian family business that only trades in coffee from their region, Buesaco in Colombia. What makes this Colombian coffee so special is the altitude and temperatures to which the plantations are exposed during the day and night in combination with the fertile volcanic soil.

The warm winds of the Pacific Ocean blow through the valley at night, which prevents the plants from freezing due to the cold at the altitude 2200meters. Due to these drastic temperature differences between the day and night, the plant goes into a survival mode and concentrates entirely on the production of the coffee cherry. This translates into a nice full-bodied coffee bean with a natural sweetness and nice fruity notes.

Avian Coffee knows what the coffee means to the farmers and therefore knows what they are selling. Because of the short lines of communication, they can give the farmers a fair price and they are driven to make life on the small plantations better and to give the farmers recognition for their work.

Region: Colombia – Buesaco, Narino
Arabica Variety: Tipica/Caturra
Process Method: washed, sun-dried
Growing Altitude: 2200 meters
Special Aspect: Volcanic Soil

Burners: Ief&Ido and Tim