Malawi coffee on Starbucks reserve

Malawi coffee has been put on the Starbucks reserve signalling that the country has one of the finest beverages in the world.

 “The Malawi coffee has a full rich flavour with a smooth finish. I especially enjoyed that it didn’t turn bitter in the brewing process. One of the few robust coffees that I don’t need to cut with milk,” said one observer who has tested the coffee and posted comments on the Starbucks website.

Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee company and coffeehouse chain based in Seatle, Washington, USA.

The Coffee Association of Malawi (Camal) chairperson Harrison Kalua on Monday said he had not heard the news yet. However, he said the country’s coffee has reached all the corners of the world.

Coffee was introduced to Malawi in 1891 by the British and has been grown in the country ever since.

According to the commentary on the website, for only the second time Starbucks is offering a single origin coffee from Malawi, a country with one of the smallest coffee yields in East Africa.

“Cultivated and processed with meticulous care, this coffee is graded AA for its premium quality,” reads part of the commentary.

Malawi has about 3 000 smallholder farmers and 11 estates, according to figures from Camal.

But Kalua said this year, Malawi is expected to produce 2 000 tons of the crop which will bring in between $8 million (K2 billion) and $15 million (K3.7 billion).

He said despite the demand for the coffee being high, the price has this year dropped largely because of speculation on the global market.

“We hope that the price will stabilise shortly,” said Kalua, who is also chief executive officer of Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union which produces Mzuzu Coffee, one of the finest beverages that has taken the global market by storm.