Malawi Mzuzu – Archived

Nestled in south-central Africa, the Republic of Malawi forms a landlocked strip of a plateau surrounded by Zambia, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa with over 13 million people living in only 118,000 square kilometers, of which 20% is water. Coffee was introduced to Malawi in the late 1800’s by the British, and peaked in production at about 70,000 bags during the 1990’s. Flowering happens from December to February, and a May to September harvest follows. Generally coffees are washed, dried on raised beds, and exported in 60-kilogram jute bags.

To our understanding, the Geisha variety has been grown in Malawi since 1932. On Café Import’s third trip to this origin, co-owner Jason A. Long cupped samples from 65 different subzones, attaining a clear perspective on the availabilty of great coffees in this region. The specialty coffees coming out of Malawi are still very much a work in progress, but in that we find excitement in the expected increase of quality over time.