How does the first day of the coffeekult coffee trip in Rwandastart, I wonder?
NATURALLY with coffee from RUANDA. And as the saying goes: double keeps better!
First, there is a freshly brewed coffeekult RWANDA coffee as a light breakfast on the hotel terrace. A unique experience, even for a coffee roaster. You don’t often have the opportunity to enjoy those coffee beans where they come from.
And what luck: directly in front of the hotel, on a lively street in the center of the capital Kigali, there is a small “board shack”, which a barista runs as a stand-up café. A portafilter machine and a not too dark roasted Rwandan coffee, that’s all you need and you’re happy!
A perfect start to the day and in Kigali, a city of many hills and valleys, which welcomed us quickly and warmly.
We are traveling with Immaculee Steinlechner in the heart of Africa, a heart that touches you!
In the coffeekult blog “Coffee – from the heart of Africa, to the heart of the Alps” we have already introduced the coffee powerhouse from Tyrol. Her own coffee story is also shaped by a brutal childhood: As an eight-year-old girl, she had to witness her entire family being brutally murdered. The simple and unimaginable reason was that they were Tutsis and not Hutus. Together with Imma, we visit the Genocide Memorial, a monument to the genocide in Rwanda.
THANK YOU to IMMA for this very personal insight.
Coffee is ubiquitous in Rwanda and people obviously want to impart knowledge. Of course, coffeekult likes that very much.
One restaurant, for example, has – instead of big pictures or kitschy decoration – simply boards with coffee knowledge hanging on the walls. “9 facts about coffee” let – besides a wonderful and traditional lunch – just talk about coffee, and another board enlightens about the taste characteristics.
…..maybe this is how coffee knowledge should be taught in Austria? A few essential basics can never hurt!
And you can also learn geography here, by the way: In Rwanda, it already gets dark around 6 p.m. all year round because the country is close to the equator. So an evening starts very early, but that can also have its advantages!
Our evening begins magically and BEAUTIFUL: we meet at the “Beautiful Coffee” Josias, a true coffee expert of the country! In an inconspicuous place he has a small roastery + café, the heart of „Beautiful Coffee Rwanda“.
This project supports the coffee farmers directly on site and tries to revolutionize the coffee trade. Money should stay where the most work is invested and sustainability is a big issue here!
As a small gift, we bring Josias our coffeekult coffee from Rwanda. So the beans come back to where they actually came from – to Josias and his coffee cooperatives That’s what we call a MAGIC MOMENT!
And they also give us the HONOR to try and taste our coffeekult roast on the spot.
And then – eh clear – talk shop for hours!
We are allowed to watch the BEAUTIFUL roasting, Josias explains his understanding of sustainability and you immediately become part of the Rwanda Coffee Family. You immediately feel a deep connection!
This shows once again: KAFFEE has a unifying character – across borders, nationalities, skin colors.
And one thing must not be missing, of course, the obligatory group photo.
This is what “Three Fists for a Coffee Hallelujah” looks like: Imma, Cem and Josias.
With this dream team, green coffee beans come directly to Innsbruck/Tyrol/Austria/Europe! And FAIR and DIRECT!
How and where exactly the beans come from, what the harvest looks like?
You will find out in the next few days right here in the coffeekult-BLOG
