Counter Culture has been involved in Rwanda’s specialty coffee industry since the early 2000s, supporting USAID’s PEARL project’s efforts to transform the sector. Laetitia and Uzziel began their careers at PEARL-founded cooperatives, seizing opportunities to train in cupping and quality control. They later joined a trusted exporter, where Counter Culture buyers worked closely with them for years. When they launched their own exporting business in 2019, we were eager to continue the partnership.

Image: Laetitia Mukandahiro turning coffee as it dries.

Ikawa House is an exporter with a unique approach, driven by Laetitia and Uzziel’s passion for education–both learning and sharing their knowledge they’ve accrued over two decades in the industry with young Rwandans aspiring to become coffee professionals. In the quieter months after the exporting season has concluded, they host classes ranging from barista skills to cupping, and sample roasting. This pay-it-forward approach is just one of the many aspects of their business that aligns so well with Counter Culture’s values.

Image: Uzziel Habimana of Ikawa House

Beyond connecting coffee producers with buyers around the globe, they long dreamt of establishing a farm of their own. In 2019, they acquired some land in the Karogni district of Western Rwanda, not far from where Uzziel grew up, and established the Ruronzi coffee farm. They’re using the farm to experiment with different agricultural practices, varieties and processing techniques and sharing their findings with the producers they support. After years of preparation, the vision is now a reality.

Uzziel, in particular, has a lot of ideas about how processing affects quality. During a 2022 visit, we discussed the rise of alternative processing techniques and their impact on flavor. He had some thoughts about creating an anaerobic natural that minimized the funky and boozy flavors that can sometimes overpower other aspects of terroir. With Ruronzi’s first full harvest approaching, he finally had a place to test his theories.

This lot was picked using only ripe cherries that were heavily sorted to remove any imperfect or damaged cherries. Afterwards, the cherries were sealed in airtight plastic sacks for 3 days to ferment anaerobically. Once this primary anaerobic fermentation was complete, they waited until they were sure they would have at least 4 hours of intense sunlight to quickly dry the cherries in a very thin layer. When the cherries took on a raisin-like appearance, they were piled slightly thicker to slow the drying process to around 40 days, with regular turning, at least 4 times a day, to ensure even drying.

Image: A hand holding ripe cherries freshly picked from the Ruronzi farm.

Once dried down to a moisture content below 12%, the raisin-like cherries rested for 15 days to homogenize the moisture across the entire lot. The coffee was then dehulled and went through a typical milling process before shipment. This attention to detail during the drying refined and balanced the fruity notes often found in anaerobic naturals. For us, the experiment was a success. We hope to support future explorations at Ruronzi to push our understanding of novel production techniques. With the team at Ikawa House driving these innovations, we couldn’t ask for better teachers.