Kokoa Kamili works with more than 2000 smallholder farmers committed to organic farming, most of whom farm about a half to two acres of land. For many farmers cacao is the major sources of income. The operations are run in the Kilombero valley of the Morogoro region, about a ten hour drive from the capital Dar Es Salaam.
Cacao from Tanzania was first introduced in the 1880s. Tanzania has one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world and farmers in rural areas often live hand-to-mouth. Historically the cacao market was controlled by a few large corporations.
Kokoa Kamili works only with top quality beans, mainly of the trinitario variety. Kamili pays a premium for wet cacao and by buying wet cacao they can ensure a high quality consistency in fermentation and drying. For the farmers this also mean less workload and greater compensation.
We began working with Kokoa Kamili in late 2015 and have over the years become more and more impressed with the work the team is doing at origin.
The beans have strong notes of dried figs and raisins as well as hints of red fruit and wood. They have a high acidity but also a high natural sweetness.
THE ORIGIN FACTS
| Type: | Local hybrid of Trinitario |
| Region: | Kilombero valley, Morogoro region |
| Terroir: | Bordering the Udzungwa Mountains with highly fertile land and good rainfall. |
| Harvest Season: | Main season June-November; peak season August-November. |
| Fermentation: | Eucalyptus based box fermentation. Typically six days with turns on day three and five. |
| Drying method: | Sun dried on raised dry beds. Combination of direct and indirect sunlight. |