The Story and Origins of Ethiopian Washed Sidamo G2 Premium Coffee Beans

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Ethiopian Coffee Industry Overview

Today, Ethiopia's washing processing stations are increasingly developing. Small farmers sell their harvested coffee cherries to processing plants, where they are hulled and then resold through the auction system. Afterwards, they are transferred to the Eritrean port of Assab on the Red Sea, as well as the port of Djibouti near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, its annual consumption is also astonishing, approximately 1,500,000 bags of 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, because of this, many local people maliciously destroy naturally formed rainforest areas—either cutting or burning them—to reach difficult-to-access rugged mountain areas, which severely affects ecological balance.

Both washed and natural processed coffee beans, all exported coffee is sent to the capital Addis Ababa and DIRE DAWA in Harar province for auction export. The DIRE DAWA auction center typically exports natural Harar coffee from the region. Daily information about coffee from different farms can be seen at the auction site to facilitate traders' purchases. Several government-appointed officials from Ethiopia also enter and exit this center daily to inspect and grade the coffee. Each time, 3kg of green beans are randomly sampled from the same shipment for inspection.

Sidamo Brewing Method

Hand-poured Sidamo. 15g of coffee, ground to medium-fine (Fuji ghost tooth grinder setting 3.5), V60 dripper, water temperature 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and stop. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to halfway, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Avoid the tail section. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Product Information

Factory: Coffee Workshop
Address: No. 10 Bao'an Qian Street, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City
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

Coffee Details

Grade: Sidamo G2 Washed

Country: Ethiopia

Grade: G2

Region: Sidamo

Roast Degree: Light roast

Processing Method: Washed

Farmers harvest bright red cherries daily, with every two days' harvest forming one unit of coffee cherries sent or sold to washing stations for processing. Coffee cherries that haven't been through washing stations typically undergo about 12 hours of natural fermentation, then are sun-dried to facilitate drying and hulling. Regardless, farmers with slightly more ability always try to send their cherries to washing stations for processing in order to be labeled "washed" and sell for better prices. At washing stations, coffee cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking and fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels with stirring to separate the pulp from the coffee beans. The pulp is discharged through gates.

Variety: Local heirloom varieties

Flavor: Honey, citrus, lemon

Ethiopian Coffee Agriculture

Today, large quantities of wild Arabica coffee trees still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, typically planted at altitudes between 4,200-6,800 feet. There is now a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, generally interplanting banana trees for shade. However, due to lack of agricultural technology, there is also limited use of herbicides and pesticides. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic agricultural 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 exports include sugar, bananas, and cotton. Coffee is also Ethiopia's largest and most important commodity export after oil, and Africa's largest Arabica export. In 1997, the total value was approximately $300 million. 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 numbers have always been difficult to compile. However, the country's official statistics show that the total coffee cultivation area is at least 400,000 hectares or more. The Ethiopian government encourages local farmers to improve quality and productivity to help coffee farmers expand their commercial scale and increase production and exports.

Sidamo Region Characteristics

The Sidamo growing region, with altitudes of 1,400-2,200 meters, is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo appears light green, with beans that are not large but oval-shaped and full. The average quality is excellent, with aromatic and mellow flavor characteristics. One drop in the mouth leaves an endless aftertaste, possessing a wild beauty. Sidamo's coffee flavors are very 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. This demonstrates the extraordinary nature of green beans from this region. The area features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The local geology consists of nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil, with soil depth nearly two meters, and surface soil appearing dark brown or brown. The area's greatest advantage is that soil fertility is maintained through organic matter cycling, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees or plant residues as fertilizer.

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo has clear fruit acidity, smooth mouthfeel, and delicate floral and herbal aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The gentle and pleasant entry creates a strong taste impact with the bright lemon acidity that follows. The mouthfeel is uniquely mellow, with a distinctive and pleasant sweetness in the aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains a unique sweetness. The green coffee beans are slightly grayish, with some areas being large and others small. The acidity is both gentle and intense, the body is appropriately balanced between thick and light, and it has sweet, spicy aromatics, making it one of the garden coffees from Ethiopia's southern highlands.

Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473