Introducing our new Bold Ristretto Blend!
We recently wrote about our new arrivals, where we responded to your feedback asking for stronger coffees and more decaf varieties.
Today, we're writing about our signature Ristretto is made with a unique blend of quality Colombian Arabica and Ugandan beans.
The Colombian is characterized by rich fragrances of liquorice, caramel and chocolate. The Ugandan gives a hazelnut aromas with a slight hint of cherry fruit. The result is a robust lasting aftertaste of spices and dark chocolate.
Perfect with milk, we find it's particularly good for a short latte, cappuccino, or a flat white. For the brave who like their coffee strong enough to wake the dead, it is perfect is a neat ristretto shot.
Origins
According to the African Fine Coffees Association, Uganda grows both Robusta and Arabica coffee. The Arabica crop was introduced in Uganda in 1900 from Malawi and Ethiopian highlands, although the Arabica crop initially performed poorly and was ravaged by diseases at the time it was introduced.
On the other hand, there was an increase in farming of the natural undomesticated Robusta by smallholder farmers in the areas around the Lake Victoria basin.
Historical accounts suggest that after World War II, there was need for revenue sources to support the British economy, which had suffered signi cantly as a result of the war. Crops like cotton and sugarcane were forcibly grown in Uganda. As time went on, Uganda grew very good quality Robusta coffee.
By 1914, European and Asian farmers had established 135 plantations, sitting on over 58,000 acres of land, mostly in central Uganda. However, the crop was abandoned when prices fell in the 1920s.
Harvesting
In Uganda, smallholders intercrop their coffee trees with traditional food crops, usually utilizing the shade of banana trees and other shade trees. In these self sustaining conditions, coffee is left to grow naturally, flowering on average twice a year.
Mount Elgon, which lies in the eastern reaches of the country, straddling the Uganda – Kenya border, is where most coffee is grown. It is thought that Mount Elgon was once the tallest mountain in Africa! The coffee shambas extend up and down the cliff faces, making use of natural water gullies and forest cover to extract moisture from the soil. The Sipi Falls are one of the great natural features of the Elgon region where this coffee originates, with farms based between 1,600 and 1,900 metres. It is a steep and difficult terrain to traverse in the rainy seasons – often there are no roads, only dirt tracks that get washed away by the rains.
With an average of 1000 coffee trees of say Robusta coffee in an acre you can harvest about 8,000 kg in a year. Coffee beans when their color changes from green to ripen red. This is important because when you mix in unripe beans, on drying they will spoil the quality of the beans.
Want to enjoy our Bold Ristretto capsules?
They're now available in big packs of 100 capsules, where you can save 10% and get free shipping when ordering. Click here to stock up.
Our Indonesian Single Origin biodegradable coffee capsules are available as part of our coffee capsule subscription too! Set up a subscription today and get 10% off every order and get free delivery on orders over £30.
More About Our Biodegradable & Compostable Capsules
Moving Beans Nespresso®-compatible coffee capsules are fully compostable and biodegradable. They contain no harmful plastic or aluminium and are made completely from plant-based materials.
Once used, you can throw the whole capsule into your general waste or food waste collection bin!
More about Moving Beans:
Moving Beans roasts coffee and manufactures compostable & biodegradable Nespresso-compatible coffee pods in the UK and EU.
Just like our stores in Asia, and Australia, Moving Beans sells a range of biodegradable and compostable Nespresso-compatible capsules using only the world's finest specialty coffees.
Browse the range coffee coffees we have available across Europe here.
Our coffee capsules subscriptions are available in Australia too. Click here if you're looking for great coffee capsules down under.
0 comments