Taste is one of the most evocative memory triggers. Yet, I often feel that food can communicate beyond one's known realm of experience. It can teach you about a place you've never been, show you rolling fields of crops in your mind's eye, cast the heat of a summer day on your skin, and put the taste of earth and sky on your tongue. Some foods speak volumes of their birthplace. The Zirikana, Rwanda micro-lot: Rusenyi coffee from Intelligentsia is one. In my longstanding love affair with coffee, this one just made the list of cups I will never forget.A Bourbon varietal from the Byumba Province, the micro-lot is a special "reserve" offering from the Rusenyi farm. The flavor is so inviting, delicate, and wonderfully wintery that it seems almost at odds with its origin. The crisp light tang of wild blueberries, hints of spiced cider, a touch of cinnamon, clove (and perhaps nutmeg), and a clear helping of molasses can all be found in this cup. But don't take my word for it, give it your own thorough tasting. Words fail the true pleasure of this experience.
Zirikana is part of Intelligentsia's Direct Trade program. Direct Trade is a collaborative program between Intelligentsia and the grower encouraging best practices in production, environmental stewardship, handling, and offering 25% above fair trade pricing directly to the grower. So, this is one African indulgence you can feel wholehearted about.
Available from Intelligentsia for $9 per half pound, the micro-lot: Rusenyi Zirikana shouldn't be missed. Intelligentsia has been roasting and distributing award-winning coffees for almost 15 years. Expect to see this micro-lot on their upcoming roster of accolades.
This was my first experience with a Rwandan coffee. Rwanda isn't a
country that most Americans associate with outstanding coffee. Oddly
enough, coffee has been one of Rwanda's primary exports since the
1950's. Yet until recently, the quality of production yielded rather
low grade beans, primarily serving as cheap filler in a number of
European blends.
With years of dedication and perseverance (Zirikana translates as "show your commitment"), Rwandan farmers have elevated their cultivation to a level that rivals any coffee I have yet tasted. Intelligentsia has been closely involved with the production in Byumba Province for the past 6 years, only offering the coffee to customers for the first time in 2007. Geoff Watts, the Director of Coffee and Green Coffee Purchaser for Intelligentsia, says in a recent article that the current batch is the best it has ever been.
With years of dedication and perseverance (Zirikana translates as "show your commitment"), Rwandan farmers have elevated their cultivation to a level that rivals any coffee I have yet tasted. Intelligentsia has been closely involved with the production in Byumba Province for the past 6 years, only offering the coffee to customers for the first time in 2007. Geoff Watts, the Director of Coffee and Green Coffee Purchaser for Intelligentsia, says in a recent article that the current batch is the best it has ever been.
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