AvailableSpecialty
Tanzania · Kilimanjaro
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- AB
- Screen
- 15/16
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 20ft
Citrus · Dark chocolate · Black tea
Tanzania · Grade
Tanzania Peaberry
Tanzanian peaberry has a genuine market position and a genuine reason to exist. It also carries more marketing mythology than any other separation in the region, so it is worth being precise.
- Species
- Arabica · Robusta
- Preparation
- Fully washed · Natural
- Harvest
- June–October in the south; July–December in the north
Quick answer
A peaberry forms when only one of the two ovules in a cherry develops, producing a single rounded seed instead of two flat-faced ones. Tanzania has a long-established peaberry separation, done on slotted screens. It is a shape class, not a quality class — the reason to buy it separately is that it roasts differently.
Contract on: region · grade · screen · process · crop · moisture · defect tolerance · cup approval.
Request current tanzania peaberryWhat a peaberry is
A normal coffee cherry contains two seeds with flat facing sides. When only one of the two ovules is fertilised or develops, the single seed grows into the available space and takes a rounded, oval form. That is a peaberry.
It occurs naturally in a small proportion of any harvest, across every origin and variety. It is not a variety, not a defect, and not a sign of anything about the tree or the farm.
- Skin (exocarp) — removed by pulping, or dried onto the seed in natural processing.
- Pulp (mesocarp) — the fruit flesh.
- Mucilage — the pectin layer whose removal defines washed, honey and natural processing.
- Parchment (endocarp) — protects the seed during drying and resting; removed at hulling.
- Silverskin — the seed coat; becomes chaff in the roaster.
- Seeds — normally two flat-faced seeds. When only one develops, the result is a peaberry.
How it is separated
Peaberries are separated on slotted screens rather than round-hole ones. A round seed passes through a slot that a flat bean of the same nominal width will not, which is what makes the separation possible. Peaberry therefore runs on its own screen scale — a PB 13 or 14 is not comparable to a flat-bean screen 13 or 14.
Tanzania has a long-established and carefully executed peaberry separation, which is why Tanzanian PB has a market identity that peaberry from many other origins does not.
Why it roasts differently
This is the real, defensible reason to keep peaberry separate.
- Geometry. A rounded seed has a different surface-area-to-mass ratio from a flat-faced one, so heat enters differently.
- No flat face. Flat beans present a flat surface to the drum and to each other; peaberries roll. Bed behaviour in the roaster differs.
- Higher bulk density. Rounder seeds pack more closely, so the same volume weighs more — which affects charge calculations.
- Uniformity. A peaberry separation is inherently uniform in shape, which is an advantage on a tight profile.
Mixed into a flat-bean batch, peaberries develop out of step with the rest. Separated, they roast very evenly. That is the practical case.
What it is not
Peaberry is not intrinsically better coffee
It comes from the same cherry, the same trees and the same processing as the flat beans around it. The claim that the single seed "concentrates" the flavour that would have gone into two is not supported — the seed is not larger in total mass than the pair it replaces. Buy peaberry because it roasts uniformly and because you like the specific lot, not because of the concentration story.
Availability and price
Peaberry is a small proportion of any harvest, so parcels are limited by nature rather than by choice. That scarcity, combined with the extra separation step, is what drives the differential.
- Typical parcel
- Small — tens of bags rather than containers
- Screen
- Own PB run, commonly PB 13/14
- Regions
- Produced across both Tanzanian belts; southern lots lean sweeter
- Processing
- Fully washed
- Packaging
- 60 kg jute, hermetic liner common
Peaberry enquiries
Tell us the region and volume. Peaberry parcels are small, so early confirmation matters.
Request Current Crop OfferLast reviewed 2 min read
The distinction that matters
What this grade does not tell you
A grade is a preparation class. Everything below is a separate contract field, and every one of them moves independently of the grade name.
What it does fix
Tanzania Peaberry encodes
- Bean size, as the screen the parcel is retained on
- Bean shape, where peaberry is separated from the flat-bean run
- Density, for the TT separation lifted off the AA/A/B run
- That the parcel met the preparation standard of a named grade
Use the grade to define the physical deliverable. Use the approved sample to define the cup. Both belong in the contract.
What it does not
Specify these separately
- Cup qualityTwo lots at the same grade from the same mill can cup several points apart. Only cupping tells you.
- Defect countA separate count on a defined sample, against a weighting table that differs by origin.
- MoistureA range plus the measurement method. Two meters on one parcel routinely disagree.
- Crop yearNothing in a grade name distinguishes current crop from a parcel that has been in store a year.
- DensityBulk density in g/L, which drives charge temperature and roast planning.
- Water activityStorage stability. Related to moisture but not derivable from it.
- TraceabilityCountry, station or day lot are different claims. A grade fixes none of them.
- Processing methodWashed, natural and honey can all carry the same grade at most origins.
Availability
Current Tanzania Peaberry
Availability moves with the harvest, with milling and with prior commitments. Everything here is confirmed against the current crop on enquiry.
AvailableSpecialty
Tanzania · Mbeya & Songwe
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- AA
- Screen
- 18+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 1 × 20ft
Blackcurrant · Cocoa nib · Brown sugar
LimitedSpecialty
Tanzania · Mbinga & Ruvuma
- Species
- Arabica
- Process
- Fully washed
- Grade
- PB
- Screen
- PB 13/14
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 120 bags
Red apple · Molasses · Almond
On contract
Tanzania · Kagera
- Species
- Robusta
- Process
- Natural (dry-processed)
- Grade
- Screen 15 up
- Screen
- 15+
- Crop
- 2025/26
- Quantity
- 2 × 40ft
Quality
Quality evaluation
Every parcel runs the same sequence before it is offered and again before it is loaded. What is reported for a given lot depends on what the buyer specifies.
- 01Physical gradePreparation class against the origin’s own system
- 02Screen distributionRetention plus the percentage passing
- 03Defect analysisFull defects per 300 g on a stated weighting table
- 04MoistureRange plus the measurement method and instrument
- 05Water activityWhere the buyer specifies it, for storage stability
- 06DensityBulk density in g/L, for roast planning
- 07Sample roastTo a cupping profile, not a commercial roast
- 08CuppingMultiple cups, against the approved sample
- 09Buyer approvalThe retained sample the shipment is measured against
Crop
Tanzania crop calendar
Flowering, harvest, processing, milling and the export window. Regional cycles differ, so this is not one universal season.
Southern highlands — Mbeya, Songwe, Mbinga (Arabica)
Crop year commonly quoted July–June
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
HarvestPeak July–September
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Sep–Nov
- Cherry development: Nov–May
- Harvest: Jun–Oct. Peak July–September
- Processing & drying: Jun–Nov
- Dry milling & grading: Aug–Jan
- Main export window: Aug–May
The southern belt harvests earlier than the north and supplies the larger share of Tanzanian Arabica volume.
Northern highlands — Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Meru (Arabica)
Crop year commonly quoted July–June
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
HarvestPeak August–October
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Oct–Dec
- Cherry development: Dec–Jun
- Harvest: Jul–Dec. Peak August–October
- Processing & drying: Jul–Jan
- Dry milling & grading: Sep–Mar
- Main export window: Sep–Jun
Higher altitudes on Kilimanjaro and Meru pick latest, extending the window into December.
Kagera (Robusta)
Crop year commonly quoted July–June
Stage
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flowering
Cherry development
Harvest
Processing & drying
Dry milling & grading
Main export window
- Flowering: Sep–Nov and Mar–Apr
- Cherry development: Nov–Apr
- Harvest: May–Aug
- Processing & drying: May–Sep
- Dry milling & grading: Jul–Nov
- Main export window: Jul–Feb
Kagera Robusta is predominantly dry-processed, so the drying phase dominates the processing window.
Export
Packing and export
- Ports of loading
- Dar es Salaam, Tanga
- Bag standard
- 60 kg jute; GrainPro or equivalent liners on request
- Export window
- August through to the following June, peaking October–March
- Incoterms
- FOB · CFR · CIF
Compare
Against the other East African origins
Grade designations do not translate between origins, and harvest windows barely overlap. This is how the region compares at a glance.
| Origin | Species | Main preparation | Representative grades | Harvest | Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda | Robusta · Arabica | Natural (Robusta) · Washed Arabica (WUGAR) | Screen 18 · Screen 17 · Screen 15 · FAQ | Robusta main crop November–February with a fly crop April–July; Elgon Arabica October–February | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Kenya | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Mbuni (natural) | E · AA · AB · PB | Main crop October–December; early (fly) crop May–July | Mombasa |
| Ethiopia | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (sun-dried) | Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 | October–January, varying by region and altitude | Djibouti (primary transit port) |
| Rwanda | Arabica | Fully washed · Natural (growing) | Grade 1 (fully washed) · Grade 2 · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July, with the peak in April and May | Mombasa (Northern Corridor) · Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) |
| Burundi | Arabica | Fully washed with soak · Natural (limited) | Grade A · Grade B · Screen 15+ · Screen 16+ | March–July | Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor) · Mombasa (Northern Corridor) |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a peaberry?
A single rounded coffee seed, formed when only one of the two ovules in a cherry develops. It occurs naturally in a small proportion of every harvest at every origin. It is not a variety and not a defect.
Does peaberry coffee taste better?
Not inherently. It comes from the same cherry, trees and processing as the flat beans alongside it. The defensible reason to buy it separately is that its shape and density make it roast differently, and separating it gives a very uniform batch.
Why is Tanzanian peaberry well known?
Tanzania has a long-established and carefully executed peaberry separation, so Tanzanian PB has a market identity that peaberry from many origins does not. The separation quality is real; the mythology around concentration is not.
How much peaberry is available?
Small quantities. Peaberry is a small proportion of any harvest, so parcels are naturally limited — typically tens of bags rather than containers.
Request an offer
Tell us the Tanzania coffee you need
Region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year, packaging and destination. Send what you know and we will confirm what Tanzania realistically supports for the current crop.