Matongo - Burundi - Washed

Roast Level:

Recommended Brew Methods:

Producer: Matongo Community

Region: Kayanza, Burundi

Varietal: Bourbon

Processing: Washed

Importer/Exporter: JNP

Elevation: 1800 m.a.s.l.

Price Paid: €11.15/kg + €0.18/kg shipping

FOB: US$8.82/kg

Tastes Like: Cola, Candied Lemon, Blackcurrant

Jeanine Niyonzima-Aroian is the founder of JNP Coffee, which produces and trades coffee from her home country of Burundi and partners directly with the women who grow and process it. In this way, JNP ensures they are paid directly for their work and given the tools to improve not only their own lives but their communities. For these women the economic practices invigorate their economies and lead to financial stability and poverty reduction. Through initiatives like the  Dushime® premium, thousands of women producers are empowered to invest in  education, grow their farms, and build  financial security.

When JNP Coffee was founded in 2012, Jeanine began working closely with the farmers of Matongo, offering strong support to the women farmers in particular. This partnership became a cornerstone of JNP's early journey. However, in 2019, a shift in leadership at the wet mill severed the connection. Fortunately, about three years ago, a group of dedicated farmers sought out Jeanine , eager to resume the partnership.

This coffee is from the Kayanza Province, known for producing some of the highest quality coffees in Burundi. This particular coffee was a first-place winner of the coveted Cup of Excellence in 2013. Processed through one of Burundi’s few double fermentation washing stations, Matongo coffee cherries are picked by women coffee farmers in a high-altitude microclimate, grown among tea, bananas, beans, and cassava plants. Jeanine has known these farmers for a long time, establishing a close bond over the years.

Jeanine lives in Berlin and is a familiar face around Communal Coffee where she regularly roasts samples. We were first introduced through Henrik of Populus Coffee. Her presence and meaningful work to empower women coffee producers in Burundi sparked our interest in adding Burundi coffees to our portfolio. 

Our Matongo roast is on the lighter side, and makes a great everyday coffee with a bit of personality. We taste a full-bodied cola flavour, a sweet touch of candied lemon, and a smooth  blackcurrant finish.