Where is Cameroon located?

Cameroon is an African country located in the center of Africa, the location provides it with impressive biodiversity and a variety of climates. The country has access to the sea, which enables it to efficiently export coffee around the world. Coffee from Cameroon is valued for its diversity; on the coast, mainly robusta varieties are grown, while inland, in mountainous regions, arabica coffee crops dominate.

A dash of coffee history from Cameroon

As with many African countries (except Ethiopia), coffee cultivation was promoted by colonizers, in the case of Cameroon it was the Germans. The history of coffee in Cameroon began with the planting of nearly 200,000 coffee bushes by agricultural engineer René Coste near the town of Dschang, in 1928. The peak of coffee production in Cameroon was in 1990, when the country was the 12th largest coffee producer in the world. Today, coffee cultivation is at a much lower level, with a 4:1 ratio in favor of robusta coffee.

What coffee from Cameroon tastes like?

In Cameroon, coffee is grown in several regions; the western, coastal region mainly grows robusta coffee, which is added to bean blends. The coffee is characterized by a strong and distinctive nutty flavor with earthy notes. Arabica coffee is grown on a much smaller scale mainly in the Bamileke and Bamaoun regions. The regions provide an ideal growing environment; rich volcanic soil, abundant rainfall and moderately high elevations. Arabica coffees from Cameroon have a softer, more complex flavor that makes them a delight to brew on their own. Cameroonian arabica coffee has the fruity, floral flavor and high acidity characteristic of many African coffees.