Masha, Burundi, is an extremely clean and textured coffee, syrupy smooth, with a deliciously comforting finish. We've used Morning Bun as a tasting note; in the words of our friends at Northcote Bakeshop, think French pastry with layers of cinnamon, cardamom butter and orange zest. With this subtle spice and ripe red fruits, Masha makes for an incredibly cosy ‘spro.
This stunning washed Red Bourbon lot comes from the work of over 2000 contributing regional producers, processing their harvest at the Masha Washing Station. An exciting origin producing outstanding coffee, Burundi is sometimes overlooked in favour of the coffee powerhouses in the surrounding regions. Seven Seeds are focusing on establishing local relationships to cement a long-term place for Burundi on our coffee menu.
Burundi is a landlocked county in the Great Rift Valley, sandwiched between East Africa and the great lakes region. Its shares borders with Rwanda, Tanzania and the DRC. The coffee industry here has its roots in Colonialism, with Arabica trees first introduced in the 1930s by the Belgian government. Burundi gained its independence in 1962. Despite its ties to the past, the cultivation of coffee persisted and was invested in, seen by both producers and the newly formed government as a pathway to prosperity. Today the industry is almost entirely made up of smallholder producers. The work of these producers directly supports around 5 million people, or just under 50% of the total population, understandably meaning coffee production is incredibly important in Burundi.