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Although Kenya produces only 1.23 per
cent of the world's coffee, it is an important grower of
high-quality Arabica. The coffee grows in altitudes up to 2,100
meters in several regions. Some of the most sophisticated machinery
of the coffee world is used in Kenya, and consequently the quality
is utterly consistent and reliable. As Arabica beans go, Kenya's,
before roasting, are fairly small and roundish, and instantly
recognizable by the bits of silver skin still clinging to them
(which burns off as chaff in the roaster). Classifications include
AA, which is the top, quality export bean, AB (by far the majority
of beans exported), and PB, which are some of the best quality
peaberries in the world. The descriptions of Kenya coffee always
include the words "mild", "delicate" and "acid" (some to the point
of "lemony"), and sometime "winey". Kenya can be almost too sharp
because of its acidity, but in a high quality blend it is the
expensive Kenya flavor that will dominate, even if its proportions
are less. |
