Leon Christianakis - Pacamara // Karatu, Tanzania

by Hex

—Acacia Hills sits on Mount Oldeani’s volcanic slopes, just outside the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Leon, a third-generation Tanzanian coffee producer, returned from a career in pharmacy to pivot the family business from commodity to specialty in the 2000s. In 2007, he and his wife, Aideen, acquired and rehabilitated land in Oldeani, replanting with quality-forward cultivars and tightening every step—from selective picking to clean, controlled washing and careful drying. Their work has helped push northern Tanzania onto more cupping tables worldwide, building momentum for a new chapter in the country’s specialty community. The community work here is grounded and practical: gravity-fed water systems serving nearby villages, steady employment, and thoughtful land stewardship with shade management and soil care. This is our second year sourcing from Leon and Aideen. Pacamara is a deliberate hybrid of Pacas and Maragogipe, created by El Salvador’s coffee research institute. Pacas is a na