Small plot growers surrounding the Kanzu washing station bring their ripe bourbon fruit to the station to be de-pulped and washed. 

Kanzu washing station is located in the Nyamasheke district of Rwanda’s Western province. When the views are clear from the top of the ridge above the washing stations you can see all the way down to Lake Kivu to the west, which stretches the length of Rwanda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kanzu is a jewel of a place — organized and well-run, set against green hills of coffee, cassava, sweet potato, sugar cane, bananas, and beans at 1900 masl. Kanzu employs 50 local men and women during the harvest season. From start to finish, harvest in Rwanda runs about 4-5 months from March to July. Lots are separated by each outturn throughout the season. After arriving at the washing station, cherry is floated and pulped, using a McKinnon disc pulper. The coffee in parchment then undergoes a dry fermentation for 16-18 hours before the remaining mucilage is washed off, followed by soaking. This typically takes up to 18 hours before the coffee is dried on raised beds with a mesh bottom, allowing for air circulation. The wastewater from the processing is treated with Effective microorganisms (EMTechnologiesTM) to secure the local water resources for the nearby community.

In 2012, Dormans took over Kanzu washing station and spent the intervening years making investments in infrastructure, training farmers on agronomic best practices, and improving quality control.

Origin: Rwanda
Region: Kanzu, Nyamasheke
Variety: Bourbon
Altitude: 1900-2100 MASL
Processing: Washed Process