South Africa grows and roasts the world’s ‘rarest coffee bean’
A coffee variety that is considered to be one of the rarest in the world is harvested and roasted in South Africa.
Grown in a small sliver of land in KwaZulu-Natal, the bean marks a significant development in the local specialty coffee scene.
Coffea racemosa, a lesser-known varietal of the 130 coffea species worldwide, can be found growing wild north of Lake St Lucia.
It is endemic to the coastal forest belt between northern KwaZulu-Natal, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
Racemosa is best known for its naturally low caffeine levels, around half of Arabica (the world’s most popular coffee bean) and a quarter of Robusta coffee.
“The bean itself is tiny—a third of the size of Arabica—and it’s naturally low in caffeine,” David Donde, founder of Truth Coffee Roasting in Cape Town, told TimeOut.
Donde has begun sourcing the beans from KwaZulu-Natal coffee farmer and broker Charles Dennison.
The beans are then carefully processed and roasted to preserve their distinctive characteristics. This includes a flavour profile of herbal notes: “Marijuana. Rosemary. Thyme,” Donde adds.
The beans undergo this meticulous, small-batch roasting process in Truth Coffee’s 1947 Probat roaster, ‘The Colossus’.
A legacy of the Portuguese
Coffea racemosa was once widely farmed by the Portuguese during Mozambique’s colonial period.
Now, only a few plantations currently exist—one on Ibo Island, and the others in KwaZulu-Natal (Hluhluwe, Ballito, Port Edward).
However, recent initiatives by small-scale farmers have reignited interest in this unique coffee.
Another challenge with Racemosa is its significantly lower yield compared to Arabica. Estimates suggest that six Racemosa trees are required to match the output of a single Arabica plant.
On the plus side, Coffea racemosa’s naturally low caffeine status gives the bean a healthy and unprocessed image.
Its flavour profile also improves over time, making a month-old roast more desirable than a freshly-roasted one.
“You can’t grill flavour into a steak, and the same goes for coffee,” notes Donde.
“I can’t roast flavour into a bean, but I can optimise for getting the most flavour out of the bean.”
What would you pay for this rare coffee?
Due to its exclusivity, Truth Coffee only roasts Racemosa beans upon request, with just 55 units available for sale.
The coffee is packaged in 80g portions, priced at R1 499 per pack—or R18.70 per gram.
Have you managed to get your hands on some Coffea Racemosa?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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