What Does Sidamo G2 Taste Like? How to Brew Sidamo Coffee?

People often praise African coffee, but FrontStreet Coffee believes that African coffee is beloved not only for its excellent quality and diverse varieties but also for its exceptional value for money. This is especially true for the renowned Sidamo coffee.

Unlike typical African coffees, FrontStreet Coffee's Sidamo features clear fruit acidity, a smooth mouthfeel, and delicate floral and herbal aromas. The initial entry is gentle and pleasant, creating a strong sensory impact with the bright lemon acidity that follows. The mouthfeel is uniquely rich and full-bodied, with a distinctive and pleasing sweetness in the aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains a hint of sweetness that leaves you wanting more. Below, FrontStreet Coffee introduces Sidamo coffee's advantages from multiple perspectives and explores what makes it exceptional.

Coffee: The Core of Ethiopian Culture

Ethiopia is the birthplace of Arabica coffee. It is in the forests of Ethiopia's Kaffa region that you can find wild coffee trees. In the Ethiopian language, coffee is called "Bun" or "Buna," and "coffee bean" likely derives from "Kaffa Bun." Furthermore, the term "coffee bean" is commonly considered an Anglicization of "Kaffa bunn," and the English word "coffee" originates from Ethiopia's place name "Kaffa."

As the most extensive forest area in Ethiopia, the Kaffa Biosphere Reserve's primary forest is globally recognized as the birthplace of coffee and the genetic treasure trove of the Arabica coffee we know today. The "Gesha" in the Geisha origin story is one of the regions in Kaffa, located in the western area. Here, numerous ancient coffee trees form an essential part of the ecosystem, with coffee growing under dense, tall shade trees. There are no artificially cultivated crops—only wild plants that have naturally sprouted and propagated from fallen seeds. FrontStreet Coffee's Kaffa Forest uses washed processing, presenting bright and clean fruit acidity when brewed. The entry reveals distinct sunflower seed aroma and citrus-like sweet-tart notes reminiscent of orange peel, offering incredibly rich flavors.

Getting back to our main topic, Ethiopia is the world's sixth-largest coffee producer. According to reports, in 2018, one hundred million people worldwide were directly or indirectly employed in the coffee industry, with Ethiopian coffee workers accounting for 20% of this number. In 2017, the country produced approximately 470,000 tons of green coffee beans, exporting about 160,000 tons. This means that less than half of the country's coffee production is exported, with the remainder consumed domestically.

Coffee has been integrated into Ethiopia's social structure for centuries. According to reports, a common phrase in local social activities is "buna tetu," meaning "let's drink coffee." One of Ethiopia's most famous proverbs is "buna dabo naw," which means "coffee is our bread."

Coffee cultivation in Ethiopia is primarily concentrated in the western and southern regions, with more than half following smallholder farming patterns, also known as garden coffee. This is Ethiopia's main production method. It is understood that nearly 1.2 million local families depend on coffee cultivation for their livelihood, with each household's cultivation area being no less than 4 hectares. So-called garden coffee refers to farmers managing coffee trees mixed with other economic crops in their backyards, typically planted alongside banana trees, creating unique green landscapes in front of and behind every household.

Due to the small production volume of smallholder-grown coffee, there are various farmers' cooperatives or processing plants of different sizes locally, mainly responsible for processing green coffee beans in their respective regions. During each harvest season, farmers pack the fruits from their coffee trees and send them to nearby water-based processing plants (cooperatives) for unified processing, which are then sold under the processing plant's name. For example, the Gedeb Cooperative coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's menu are collected from coffee fruits grown in Yirgacheffe town, sent to the town for unified washed processing, and finally produced and sold worldwide under the cooperative's name.

Sidamo Growing Region

Due to Ethiopia's significant variations in topography and altitude, along with various varieties and unclassified native species, Ethiopian growing regions vary greatly. The cupping flavor profiles of coffee produced in each region, micro-region, or even farm are also quite different. This leads coffee buyers to base their purchasing criteria on region, altitude, and cupping scores rather than using varieties to distinguish Ethiopian coffees.

The Sidamo coffee growing region sits at altitudes of 1400-2200 meters and is a famous specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo coffee beans are characterized by their light green color, small to medium-sized oval beans, and full-bodied fruit. They have consistently good quality, aromatic and rich flavors, and an endless aftertaste that exhibits wild beauty. The characteristic of Sidamo coffee beans lies in their extremely diverse flavors. Different soil types, microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties create significant differences and characteristics in coffee produced by various towns.

Coffee beans from the Sidamo region achieved high scores of 92-94 on CR (Coffee Review), a reputable American coffee evaluation website, for three consecutive years from 2010-2012. This demonstrates the exceptional quality of green beans from this region. The area features towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys, and plains, with diverse topography. The local geology consists of fertile, well-drained volcanic soil, with soil depth reaching nearly two meters and topsoil appearing dark brown or brown. The area's greatest advantage lies in maintaining soil fertility through organic matter cycling, using fallen leaves from surrounding trees or plant residues as fertilizer.

Ethiopian Coffee Cultivation

Ethiopian coffee is typically grown using environmentally sustainable methods, mostly produced in the form of "garden coffee," where coffee is planted directly beside farmers' houses and intercropped with other crops. Local "semi-forest coffee" is also common, a method that involves pruning weeds and shrubs from natural forests, adjusting shade trees, and then introducing coffee seedlings for cultivation. It is estimated that only 5% of Ethiopia's coffee production comes from farms专门种植咖啡的农场.

The types of coffee farmers in Ethiopia include contract farmers, plantations, and smallholders. Ethiopian smallholder groups are organized according to cooperative principles, with voluntary participation open to all farmers.

Any smallholder willing to join a cooperative and able to assume mutual responsibilities can join without discrimination based on gender, social status, ethnicity, disability, religion, or other factors. Cooperatives are democratic organizations jointly operated by their members, who actively participate in policy-making and decision-making together. Each member has an equal voting right.

Coffee cooperatives support and encourage smallholders to adopt good agricultural practices, such as harvesting mature coffee fruits and using natural or washed processing methods. If there is export capability, the exported coffee's profits can be distributed among cooperative members. Two or more primary cooperatives can form unions. In the Ethiopian coffee supply chain, unions support various primary cooperatives in harvesting and processing, conducting secondary processing including hulling, grading, packaging, and exporting coffee, while sharing profits with their respective cooperatives.

This is an effective grading system that focuses on complete and consistent monitoring while adhering to strict international quality standards, which is very important for specialty coffee buyers.

Ethiopian Coffee Processing Methods

Both washed and natural processed coffees are common in Ethiopia. In natural processing, farmers place coffee fruits on flat surfaces and dry them in the sun. This process typically takes two to six weeks, during which the fruits are regularly turned and raked to ensure even drying. Once dried, the seeds are removed from the fruit.

Washed Ethiopian coffees exhibit elegant aromas with floral notes, citrus flavors, and delicate finishes, while having smooth mouthfeel. However, flavor characteristics vary significantly by region.

Natural processed coffees typically have rich, rounded fruit flavors with deeper profiles. Compared to washed coffees of the same variety, high-quality natural processed coffees maintain clean citrus aromas and floral freshness while adding sweetness and body. When you can find one of these characteristics, other flavor qualities will not be far behind. Nowadays, Ethiopia also has increasing honey-processed coffees, which I believe is due to farmers being able to sell directly to the market with good results.

In the Sidamo region, the most famous coffee beans come from the Buku Abel processing plant in the Guji Hambela sub-region! In this article, FrontStreet Coffee uses Flower Queen coffee beans as an example for roasting, brewing, and sharing to experience the charm of Sidamo region coffee together!

FrontStreet Coffee - Sidamo Flower Queen Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Sidama
Processing Plant: Buku Abel
Altitude: 1750-2350 meters
Processing Method: Natural Process
Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom

In 2017, Ethiopia's DW green bean company sent their coffee beans to the TOH (Taste of Harvest) competition hosted by the African Fine Coffee Association. A natural processed lot from the "Buku Abel" processing plant won the Ethiopian TOH championship with its rich strawberry and cream aromas. That year, this lot of green beans was imported by a Beijing green bean trader and was named "Flower Queen" due to its championship status.

Subsequently, DW company established additional processing plants in the Hambela core region's Dimtu area: "Buku Abel," "Buku Saysay," "Haro Soresa," and "Tirtiro Goye," with an annual coffee production of approximately 1100 tons. In terms of growing region and processing plants, only coffee from the "Buku Abel" processing plant's processing area covers the original small producing area that yielded the natural processed "Flower Queen" coffee beans.

As Flower Queen coffee beans gained increasing popularity, many different-priced Flower Queen coffee beans appeared on the market. When purchasing, everyone must recognize four key pieces of information: "Sidamo region," "Buku Abel processing plant," "natural processing," and "Ethiopian heirloom variety"—all are indispensable! Authentic Flower Queen coffee beans can be purchased at FrontStreet Coffee's flagship store and FrontStreet Coffee locations.

FrontStreet Coffee observed that natural processed Flower Queen green coffee beans appear greenish-yellow with overall inconsistent sizing, which is also a characteristic of Ethiopian heirloom varieties. As the birthplace of coffee varieties, Ethiopia has too many coffee varieties—it's like a natural gene bank for Arabica. On one hand, the varieties are numerous and difficult to classify; on the other hand, the Ethiopian government,出于保护考虑, is unwilling to disclose variety information, so they are collectively called Ethiopian heirloom varieties. Because of the variety complexity, mixed planting and mixed harvesting result in inconsistent bean sizes among Ethiopian heirloom varieties.

FrontStreet Coffee Roasting Suggestions

Roaster: Yangjia 800N.

Preheat to 200°C, set air vent to 3, heat to 160, keep air vent unchanged. Return temperature at 1'32", when furnace temperature reaches 140, adjust air vent to 4; at this point, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When furnace temperature reaches 168°C, adjust heat to 140, keep air vent unchanged.

At 8'56", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on bean surface, toast aroma clearly transforms to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this moment, listen carefully for the first crack sound. At 9'14", first crack begins, reduce heat to 110, adjust air vent to 5. Develop for 1'45" after first crack, unload at 196°C.

Brewing Methods for Flower Queen Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen coffee beans are suitable for extraction using Clever Dripper, Aeropress, or V60 pour-over, but attention to parameters and techniques is needed for good results.

Clever Dripper:

The Clever Dripper combines the advantages of French press and pour-over—simple, convenient, and easy to use. It extracts through immersion and doesn't require much technique. If you're temporarily unable to master stable water flow yet can't accept the fine sediment from French press, the Clever Dripper is an easy-to-operate choice that balances flavor.

The secret is a piston at the bottom that remains in the down position (supported by four legs keeping it suspended) when water is poured in. Under pressure, it seals shut, and the piston firmly blocks water flow. When placed on a container, the bottom piston is pushed up, and coffee flows out.

Preparation:
1. Fold filter paper, place it in the Clever Dripper, wet with hot water to remove paper taste;
2. 15g coffee, medium-fine grind (80% pass-through on China standard #20 sieve), water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15.

Move the Clever Dripper to the electronic scale (valve automatically closes), pour ground coffee into the filter center. First pour 30g of hot water, start timer, bloom for 30 seconds; after blooming, pour hot water to 225g, then steep for 1'50". After steeping completes, move Clever Dripper to container and open valve to filter coffee liquid. The entire process takes about 15 seconds, with total extraction time of 2'05".

Aeropress:

The Aeropress is not only an ingeniously designed creative achievement but also a practical product. It combines the immersion extraction method of French press, the paper filtration of pour-over coffee, and the rapid, pressurized extraction principle of espresso. Through pressurized extraction, it achieves the richness of espresso, the purity of pour-over, and the smoothness of French press.

Aeropress Coffee Flavor Characteristics:

Clean and smooth mouthfeel: Using appropriate warm water with proper pressure can brew low-acidity, non-bitter yet flavorful coffee.

Rich flavors: Complete immersion brewing maximizes and evenly extracts coffee, fully preserving coffee flavors.

Medium body: Perfect coffee in 2 minutes, with actual press time of only 20-30 seconds. However, the pressurized extraction during pressing enhances coffee's sweetness and smoothness.

Preparation:
1. Prepare 15g coffee, medium grind (75% pass-through on China standard #20 sieve), 89°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, preheat Aeropress
2. Aeropress standard accessories: Aeropress body (rubber seal attached), funnel, filter holder, filter cap, filter paper, measuring spoon, stirrer, electronic scale

Technique: Pour coffee grounds, inject 40g water and stir well (because the chamber is narrow, coffee grounds may remain at edges, so pour more water to ensure corner grounds absorb water thoroughly). After 30 seconds, pour water to 200g, stir again to help coffee grounds continue degassing. At around 1:30, flip over and press. Pressing takes about 30 seconds. If the taste is too strong, you can dilute with 27g water.

V60 Pour-over Brewing:

The V60 has many ribs, allowing faster drainage. When water flow stops, it extends extraction time. Using three-stage brewing to clarify front, middle, and back flavor profiles.

Preparation: 15g coffee, 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, medium-fine grind (80% pass-through on China standard #20 sieve)

Use three-stage pouring technique: Start timer, first pour to 30g water for 30s bloom; then begin second stage with small circular pours to 125g, wait until water level drops to half before continuing, then continue small circular pours to 225g. When all dripping is complete, total extraction time is approximately 2:00-2:10 minutes.

There are many brewing methods, but not every one is suitable for extracting Flower Queen coffee beans. Different equipment配合 different grind degrees aim to express certain unique flavors and mouthfeel. Everyone can experiment and try them out.

FrontStreet Coffee advocates for conservative brewing techniques—precise grinding, precise temperature, precise weight, and full extraction within precise time—ensuring the presentation of coffee flavors on this foundation. Flower Queen coffee that is fully and appropriately extracted within the right timeframe will express: berry/tropical fruit aromas, sweet-tart juicy mouthfeel, with an oolong tea-like aftertaste, offering very pleasant acidity.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473