Tanzania Ngila Estate Honey

Tanzania Ngila Estate Honey: light roast specialty whole bean coffee

Where the farm is, and a bit of history

Ngila Estate lies in the Arusha region, Karatu District, on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater. A few kilometres from the farm is Serengeti National Park, one of the seven wonders of Africa. Wild animals wander from the park onto the farm, and you can see lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, buffalo and many others there. The farm was founded by a German settler in 1920. Since 1992 it has been owned by the Meyer family, originally from Germany. The family focuses on new processing and irrigation methods that use as little water as possible. The other thing they pay close attention to is the quality of the coffee they produce. On 100 hectares they grow 150,000 coffee trees and harvest 120 tonnes of high-quality Arabica every year.

The honey process

The outer layer of the pulp is removed at the mill, and the beans, with the rest of the pulp still on them, are dried naturally in the sun. As they dry, they stick together as if coated in honey. They are turned often to prevent mould and to dry evenly to about 12% moisture. This process gives the coffee sweetness, fruity aromatics and a sweet acidity.