Malawi Chichewa Medium Dark Roast Washed Coffee Beans Quite Rare

The main crops grown on Malawi plantations are tea, macadamia, and tobacco.  But recently small farms have specialised in the cultivation of coffee. These farmers have formed co-operatives and grown their coffee at altitudes of around 1,000 metres. They produce annually less than 0.01% of the world’s market, so obviously it’s quite hard to come by.  Coffee first came to Malawi from Edinburgh, from a single Coffea arabica plant from the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. A Scottish missionary, John Buchan started the industry in this land-locked country, originally called by the English Nyasaland. Around 500,00 smallholders help grow coffee on terraces in the style of Yemen cultivation. I find that this particular washed coffee lends itself to being made in a Pour-over or Cafetiere. It is unusual in not being quite as acidic as other African coffees, such as Kenyan coffee, it has more of a dark chocolatey nutty flavour, with according to the shipper, notes of caramel.