Burundi is a landlocked poor nation, but it is well known for producing exceptionally high-quality coffees. Our love for Burundi coffee began with the multinational Gourmet Project whose goal was to discover high-quality coffee and bring those coffees to the international market, while at the same time rewarding farmers with higher prices for quality beans. When we first cupped Burundi coffee, it was an immediate “Wow! This coffee is awesome! “, and our Burundi Bavyeyi brings the “Wow’” right to your home.

Upon flying over Burundi, one notices how fertile the land is. With its rich volcanic soil Burundi is primarily an agricultural country. An abundance of crops including bananas, rice, tea, corn, beans, tomatoes, onions, eucalyptus (grown for charcoal), cabbage, sweet potato, potato, wheat and sugar cane is grown throughout the country. While most of these crops are for local consumption, they provide food and additional income for the coffee farmers. Coffee represents forty percent of Burundi’s exports.

Our Bavyeyi coffee is grown primarily without chemicals and once harvested, the coffee is dried on “African beds“ in the sun resulting in a clean sweet coffee. Having no chemicals promotes the health of the farmer, family, community and environment. During harvest only the finest ripe red cherries are handpicked and taken to the washing station. The coffee then is pulped, fermented and washed. Once washed the coffee is laid out on “African Beds” in the sun where they are turned on a regular basis for even drying. Once dry the coffee is held and rested in its pergamino shell. Prior to exporting the pergamino is hulled and separated by bean size, density and color.

Jeanine, a native of Burundi and daughter of coffee farmers, created JNP Coffee to export Burundi coffee to the US.  Working with about 600 small-holder farmers, they work tirelessly together to produce the highest quality specialty coffee.  Jeanine named this coffee in honor of her mother, who worked in the coffee fields, providing income and education for her children.  The word “Bavyeyi” means “parent” in Kirundi.  The family legacy lives on as JNP is dedicated to expanding coffee knowledge to the farmers as well as supporting professional training to community lead initiatives, such as the woman’s soapmaking project, the corn milling project, and a new biochar initiative. These efforts are creating opportunities and strengthening the coffee growing communities in Burundi.

The community comes together at the end of the harvest each year with drummers playing and dancers in their colorful costumes filling the streets to celebrate another successful harvest.