KENYA KABINGARA

black currant, lemon, stone fruite

Farm/coop/station: Kabingara Factory

Region: Kirinyaga, Kamwana

Altitude: 1750 masl

Producer: 800 farmers working with Kabingara Factory

Varietal: Batian, Ruiru 11, SL28, SL34

Process: Washed

Grade: AA

Smallholders selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and deliver it to Kabingara Factory. At intake, the Cherry Clerk oversees meticulous visual sorting and floating and accepts only dense, ripe cherry.

After intake, cherry is pulped and fermented. Following fermentation, coffee is washed in clean water and laid to dry on raised beds. Workers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying. They cover drying parchment during the hottest time of day, to maintain slow, even drying and at night, to shelter parchment from moisture. It takes an average of 7 to 14 days for parchment to dry.

Kenyan coffees are classified by size. AA beans are the largest size. AA grade coffees are those that are 17/18 screen size, meaning that they are larger than 7.2 millimeters.