Kenya Vava

These beans have been graded AA in Kenya which makes them relatively large in size even in their green state. Although the size itself doesn’t necessarily impact the taste of the coffee it does mean that one has to be a bit careful when applying roasting commands due to the surface area of the beans. Once the beans have reached their top rate of rise we bring the heat down gradually making sure the beans are well developed, retaining all their inherent juiciness, flavour and satisfying body.

"FLAT WHITE"

Grind size: Fine

Coffee: 19 grams

Water: 40ml

Brew Time: 30 seconds

Milk: 200ml

Fire up your machine and pull yourself a double espresso shot straight into a 6-8oz shallow cup (or Duralex glass), being sure to follow the recipe above. If your shot runs through too quickly (less than 25 seconds) then try making the grind finer, and if it takes more than 35 seconds you'll want to go a bit more coarse.

Steam your milk (use the tips below if you're just starting out).

Pour the steamed milk on top of your espresso until. We love seeing your latte art skills, so definitely tag us on social media if you're posting pictures!

Tips for steaming milk:

1. Position your steam wand about half way down to the bottom of your jug at the start, just off-centre. Think about getting your milk swirling round like a whirlpool, not turbulent like river rapids!

2. Move the jug down so the steam wand just skims the surface and makes a gentle hissing sound. Hold it here for just a couple of seconds with a steady hand.

3. Bring the jug back up so the steam wand is half-submerged again, just like the start. Keep the milk swirling (remember: think 'whirlpool') as this is mixing the steamed milk into a nice uniform texture.

4. When the bottom of the jug is just uncomfortable to hold your hand on, the milk is ready. Be sure not to let it get too hot, or the milk will spoil and go sour. 

5. You should aim for a shiny smooth textured foam with no noticeable bubbles - perfect milk for a flat white looks like melted vanilla ice cream in the jug!

 

You can find more details on this brew method in our brew guides.

KENYA VAVA

 

SPECIES | ARABICA

PROCESS | FULLY WASHED

VARIETALS | SL28, BATIAN, RUIRU 11

ALTITUDE | 1540–2500 MASL

 

ABOUT VAVA

This coffee is a new partnership bought directly from Kenyan coffee pioneer, Vava Angwenyi. Vava’s approach to coffee is to challenge the status quo and promote positive social disruption within the Coffee industry. See Vava speak about challenges in the Kenya Coffee Industry at the Speciality Coffee Symposium: “Building an Alternative Narrative for Kenya's Coffee Farmers” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzpg-Zx3ANk

Vava Specialty Coffee is a social enterprise in Nairobi that seeks to cause positive social and economic disruption within the coffee industry, creating sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers. By directly linking these producers to markets that are keen on ethically sourced, traceable coffees, this model provides sustainable livelihoods for around 30,000 farming families.

 HISTORY OF COFFEE IN KENYA 

In our opinion, Kenya has one of the most interesting and complicated histories with coffee: Despite sharing a border with the “birthplace of coffee,” Ethiopia, Kenya was one of the latest places planted in coffee, nearly 300 years after the plant was first cultivated for sale. In fact, the varieties that were brought to Kenya had circumnavigated the globe before they found their way back to the African continent, mutating in various climates to create a profile that, once adapted to the rich soil around Mt. Kenya, resulted in the singular profiles that this country has to offer.

The first plants were brought to the country by Scottish and French missionaries, the latter contributing what would be known as French Mission Bourbon, transplanted from the island of Bourbon (now called Reunion) to Tanzania and Kenya in an attempt to finance their efforts on the ground. The Scottish, meanwhile, brought strains from Mocha, the different varieties contributing to the dynamic quality of the coffees in the country even to this day.

Established as a British colony specifically for its money making potential, Kenya became a coffee powerhouse as a way for the empire to control both the tea (already a Kenyan staple crop) and coffee markets worldwide. By the 1920s, as Europe demanded more and more coffee, the cash crop became a major Kenyan export, and in the 1930s the auction system was developed, ostensibly to democratise the market for farmers. After Kenya achieved independence from Britain in the 1960s, coffee took on a greater importance to small landholders, many of whom were given coffee farms in the redistribution of private property from large colonial and government-owned plantations.

In the 2000s, approximately 85% of the coffee farms in Kenya were owned by natives to the country, though European influence is still evident in larger estates. Today, the majority of Kenyan farmers tend small plots, growing as few as 150 coffee trees: They bring cherry to centrally located mills, where their coffees are weighed, sorted, and combined to create lots large enough to process and export. There are also privately owned estates, though fewer than during colonial days: The average estate grows around 10,000 coffee trees.

Ironically, it can sometimes be difficult to find a good cup of Kenyan coffee in Kenya. Kenyans prefer to drink tea in their homes, and cafe culture largely exists for tourists and in the major cities.