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Ethiopia Washed Sidamo G2 Specialty Coffee Beans: Growing Conditions, Geographic Location, Climate, and Altitude Overview

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Farmers harvest vibrant red coffee cherries daily, with collections from every two days forming a unit of coffee fruit that is sent or sold to washing stations for processing. Coffee fruit that has not undergone washing station processing typically undergoes about 12 hours of natural fermentation, followed by sun-drying for drying and hulling. Nevertheless, farmers with slightly better means always try to find ways to send their coffee fruit to washing stations for processing, in order to have it labeled as washed and sell it at a higher price

Farmers harvest vibrant red coffee cherries daily, with harvests from every two days forming a unit of coffee fruit that is sent or sold to washing stations for processing. Coffee fruit that hasn't been processed at washing stations typically undergoes about 12 hours of natural fermentation, then is sun-dried to remove the husk. Regardless, farmers with some means always try to send their coffee to washing stations to earn the premium price that comes with the "washed process" designation. At washing stations, coffee cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking and fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels with agitation to separate the pulp from the coffee beans. The pulp is discharged through sluice gates.

Today, Ethiopia's washing stations are increasing and developing. Small farmers sell their harvested coffee fruit to processing plants, where it's dehulled and then resold through the auction system, after which it's transported to the Red Sea port of Assab in Eritrea and the port of Djibouti near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, its domestic consumption is also impressive, approximately 1,500,000 bags (60kg each), accounting for 50% of total production. Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. However, for this reason, many local people deliberately destroy the naturally formed rainforest areas—either cutting or burning them—to access difficult-to-reach rugged mountain areas, severely affecting ecological balance.

Both washed and sun-dried green coffee beans destined for export are sent to the capital Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa in Harar province for auction and export. The Dire Dawa auction center typically exports sun-dried Harar coffee from the region. At the auction house, daily information about coffee from different farms is available to facilitate trader purchases. Ethiopian government officials also enter and exit this center daily to inspect and grade the coffee, randomly sampling 3 kilograms of green beans from each shipment for inspection.

Variety

Local native varieties

Flavor Notes

Honey, citrus, lemon

Today, large numbers of wild Arabica coffee trees still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, typically cultivated at elevations between 4,200-6,800 feet. There's now a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, generally with banana trees planted simultaneously for shade. However, due to lack of agricultural technology, there's minimal use of herbicides and pesticides. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic crop and the country's largest agricultural export and important industry. It accounts for 60% of Ethiopia's total export value and sustains the livelihoods of many small farms. Other crops include sugarcane, bananas, and cotton. It is also Ethiopia's largest and most important commodity export crop after petroleum, and Africa's largest Arabica coffee exporter, with a total value of about $300 million in 1997. In terms of total production, 94% comes from small farms and 6% from government institutions. Because many farms are scattered and also grow other crops, accurate statistics have been difficult to compile, but the country's official statistics show at least 400,000 hectares of coffee cultivation. The Ethiopian government encourages local farmers to improve quality and productivity to help coffee farmers expand commercial scale, increase production capacity, and exports.

Sidamo Growing Region

The Sidamo growing region, situated at elevations of 1,400-2,200 meters, is a renowned specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo beans appear light green, are not large in size, and have an oblong shape with full-bodied fruit. The average quality is excellent, with aromatic and mellow characteristics—once tasted, the aftertaste is endless, possessing a wild beauty. Sidamo's coffee flavors are extremely diverse, with different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties creating distinct differences and characteristics in coffee produced by various towns. From 2010-2012, it consistently achieved high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American coffee evaluation website CR, demonstrating the exceptional quality of green beans from this region.

The region features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The local geology consists of fertile, well-drained volcanic soil with soil depths of nearly two meters, with surface soil appearing dark brown or brown. The region's greatest advantage lies in soil fertility maintained through organic matter cycling, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees and plant residues as fertilizer.

Distinctive Characteristics

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo has clear fruit acidity and a smooth mouthfeel, with refined floral and herbal aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The initial entry is mild and pleasant, creating a strong flavor impact with the bright lemon acidity that follows, featuring a unique and mellow mouthfeel with distinctive and pleasant aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains unique sweetness. The green coffee beans have a slight grayish tint, with some areas appearing large while others small. The acidity is both soft and intense, the body is appropriately balanced between thick and light, and it's sweet with spicy aromas—making it one of the garden coffees of the Ethiopian southern highlands.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Coffee Workshop
Address: 10 Bao'an FrontStreet Coffee Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou
Manufacturer 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