MATILDA'S STORY
I was born in Hong Kong in 1992 and spent my first years in China and Australia before we moved to Switzerland. Already at the age of two, my parents took me along to the Utengule coffee plantation in Tanzania and I guess it was then I heard the word KAHAWAfor the first time.
I spent a lot of time on Utengule and the farm, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2019, and to this day it is family property.
In recent years, I had the pleasure to visit other plantations in places such as Brazil, Uganda and Costa Rica and these were all incredible experiences!
Coffee from tree to cup is a much-discussed subject in the family, therefore the opening of KAHAWACafé is a dream come true for me. Offering prime quality coffee from Utengule as well as other countries in the cup as well as roasted beans for you to take home is exciting and challenging.
It is the ambition of KAHAWACafé to select, roast and brew great coffee for you!
WHY KAHAWA?
The history of coffee dates back to the 15th century, and possibly earlier with a number legends surrounding its discovery and first use. So goes the story of herder Kaldi in Ethiopia, who’s goats got very energetic when eating fresh coffee cherries. He reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer
When the Arabs from Yemen detected coffee, they called it QAHWAH and since they were the first merchants in East Africa, the word evolved into the Swahili expression KAHAWA, where to this day the coffee trees in the field, the beans and the drink are all called KAHAWA.
The Turks were among the first regular coffee drinkers and they called it KAHVE, which the Dutch sailors borrowed for their word KOFFIE, finally leading to the English COFFEE or the German KAFFEE.
OUR COFFEE
Definitely a place you should visit as a coffee connoisseur. Here you can delve into the world of coffee, enjoy the best roasts and talk shop with the team. You are just as welcome if you are a novice when it comes to coffee. Here you can find out everything to become a true barista expert!
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At the Kahawa café, we roast coffee exclusively from plants which we have a personal relationship with, from countries that are well known for their high-quality coffee. This includes highland coffees from Tanzania and Ethiopia, or Brazil and Mexico on the other side of the Atlantic as well as special coffee from India. We place a lot of importance on ethically produced coffee such as strong protection of biodiversity, the wellbeing of employees and the support of the local population.
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In addition to “Matilda’s Choice” our special mixture used at the bar, we also regularly offer seasonal coffee-novelties. We will be offering something different every month, as well as introducing one-time coffee guests or extraordinary rarities – naturally always brewed in our wonderful
La Marzocco Strada.
CONTACT US
Do you love coffee? So do we! That is why we have our very own in-house coffee roastery. Enjoy freshly roasted coffee and get our delicious house roast, produced on-site in Kahawa Café . Furthermore, you can try out different espresso machines, get expert advice and purchase one straight away if you like. Get in touch with us +41 79 468 29 02