Introduction to Ethiopian Sidamo Natural Process Guji Specialty Coffee Bean Varieties, Cultivation, and Market Pricing

Ethiopia's Guji zone produces naturals of extraordinary intensity, and the best of them are coaxed along by hand on raised beds, one batch at a time.

At night, thick plastic sheets are pulled over the drying cherries to guard against sudden rain, letting the red fruit ferment and dehydrate at a relatively low temperature. After 18 days of natural processing, when the moisture content of the green beans has fallen to around 13%, the natural phase is stopped. The beans are packed into jute bags and stored in a warehouse held at 12-22°C and 40-50% humidity for roughly 50 days, allowing them to rest and lose more moisture. Once the moisture content reaches about 10%, they are taken to the mill for hulling, screening, and sale.

Coffee Origin Information

Coffee Producing Country: Africa, Ethiopia

Coffee Estate: Buku Abel estate, Dimtu city, Hambella Wamena, Guji

Coffee Variety: Heirloom, Ethiopian native varieties

Production Altitude: 2,250-2,350m

Quality Grade: G1

Processing Method: Natural (African drying beds)

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop Address: No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, FrontStreet Coffee Contact: 020-38364473 Shelf Life: 90 days Net Weight: 227g Packaging: Bulk coffee beans Roast Level: Roasted coffee beans Sugar Content: Sugar-free Origin: Ethiopia Roast Degree: Light roast

Ethiopian Sidamo Shakisso Natural

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Guji Zone

Altitude: 2,250-2,350m

Processing Method: Natural

Variety: Local native Heirloom

Producer: Local small farmers

Flavor Profile: Passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam

Sidamo Coffee Characteristics

Sidamo coffees are remarkably varied, a consequence of differing soil compositions, local microclimates, and countless native varieties, so each town's coffee can taste distinctly different from its neighbor's. The Sidamo production zone lies in southern Ethiopia, where agriculture dominates and the coffee-growing areas ring the Great Rift Valley.

Awards

Cupping Notes: Passion fruit, rose floral aroma, strawberry jam, berry sweet-and-sour, peach flesh, black tea finish

2016/2017

Ethiopia National Taste of Harvest Competition - Champion

2016/2017 harvest season Ethiopia Coffee Competition - Champion

2017

Regional Africa Taste of Harvest Competition - Runner-up

2017 Africa Coffee Competition - Runner-up

The Flora processing station sits in Buku Abel village at 2,200 meters. During the harvest and processing season, from December into January, its growing environment and natural climate create Flora's distinctive flavors. Natural processing only begins once the sugar content of the harvested red cherries has climbed above 30. Over the first two days the cherries are kept humid so their fruit sugars can fully begin fermenting. The high altitude drops the station's nighttime temperature to about 12°C, which prevents the heat-driven over-fermentation that would otherwise spoil the lot, and during the warmer midday hours the cherries are shaded promptly to protect them from sun damage.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's Huakui comes from Hambella in Guji, Sidamo, the same corner of Ethiopia as the coffee above. The 200-hectare farm works with traditional natural processing, spreading the ripe cherries on raised beds for 21 days to keep them from molding or picking up earthy off-notes. The fruit is turned constantly for even drying, and every three to five days workers hand-sort out defective or moldy beans. Once the skin has dried hard it is removed by huller, and the green beans get one final sort for consistency. Because the cherries dry with skin and flesh intact, a light-medium roast brings out a light fermented wine note, florals, citrus, and mango, with a dense and complex cup, honeyed sweetness, cocoa, a touch of spice, full body, and a long finish.

For another Sidamo natural, FrontStreet Coffee's Hamasho comes from the Hamasho mill, a regular on Ethiopian green bean competition leaderboards. It grows mainly the disease-resistant 74 series released by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center, and the 74158 selection has smaller beans with a particularly pronounced floral and fruity character. The aroma recalls perfume lemon, strawberry, and starfruit; the first sip is clearly strawberry, starfruit, and green grape, and a soft floral note unfolds behind it.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry is the third expression of the natural style, made entirely from fully ripe cherries and dried for about two weeks under the sun until the fruit sugars have soaked into the beans and moisture has fallen to 12%. The dried skin, mucilage, and parchment are then scraped away, and the beans are checked for density and color before workers pick out any remaining defects by eye. The result is a clean, elegant cup with peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.