Nyasaland is one of the oldest cultivated Arabica varieties in Africa, whose journey spans several continents and eras. Its roots lie in the Ethiopian Gesha region. From there it traveled to the British protectorate of Nyasaland (modern-day Malawi), and in the early 20th century British colonists brought it to the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda. There it found its ideal environment and stayed.

Bugisu, a southeastern sub-region of Uganda, sits on the slopes of Mount Elgon along the border with Kenya. Coffee grows in mixed agroforestry alongside bananas, cassava, beans, fruit trees, and ginger, which serves as a natural antiparasitic agent. Large African shade trees protect the soil from drying out and enrich it with leaf litter, while animal manure is used as fertilizer. It is a perfect agroecological system where every element supports the others.

The Nyasaland variety has survived here despite pressure from high-yielding SL hybrids and Ruiru 11, which are distributed for free. Its beans are somewhat smaller, but the quality is undeniable. The plants show strong disease resistance. Most precious of all are several perennial bushes still bearing fruit since the 1940s — they survived the dictatorship of Idi Amin, when coffee cultivation in the region was banned and farmers were forced to cut down their trees. That these plants are still alive is a testament to a handful of determined people.

This naturally processed lot is a gem of Ugandan coffee. The variety’s vivid flavor characteristics are highlighted by the sweetness of natural processing and a light berry ferment. The coffee is sweet, viscous, and round — reminiscent of a thick cocoa drink with marshmallow.