How is the Market for Sidamo G2 Coffee Beans? Which Sidamo Coffee Brand is Best?

Sidamo: The Jewel of Ethiopian Coffee

The Sidamo growing region, at elevations of 1,400-2,200 meters, is a renowned specialty coffee area in southern Ethiopia, bordering Kenya. Washed Sidamo beans have a light green color, are relatively small and oval in shape, and show full, well-formed fruit of consistently high quality. They carry a rich, mellow aroma with a long aftertaste and a kind of wild beauty. Sidamo's flavors are remarkably diverse — different soil types, microclimates and countless native varieties make the coffee from each town distinct. From 2010-2012, the region consistently earned high scores of 92-94 from the authoritative American review site Coffee Review, which speaks to the quality of its green beans. The area has towering mountains, highlands, plateaus, valleys and plains, creating varied topography. The local geology is nutrient-rich, well-drained volcanic soil nearly two meters deep, with surface soil in dark brown or brown. The region's greatest advantage is maintaining soil fertility through organic material recycling, using fallen leaves and plant residue as fertilizer.

Unique Flavor Profile

Unlike typical African coffees, Sidamo shows clear fruit acidity, a smooth mouthfeel and delicate floral and herbaceous aromas. Washed Sidamo is elegant yet playful. The mild, pleasant entry contrasts sharply with the bright lemon acidity that follows, creating a strong impression. The mouthfeel is uniquely rich and mellow, with a distinctive, pleasing aftertaste. The slowly rising finish contains a special sweetness. The green beans are slightly grayish, some areas coarse and others fine. The acidity balances both soft and intense qualities, and the body sits at an appropriately balanced level. Sweet and spicy, it is one of the garden coffees of the southern Ethiopian highlands.

Processing Methods

Farmers harvest vibrant red fruit daily, with every two-day harvest forming one unit of coffee fruit sent or sold to washing stations. Fruit not processed at a washing station typically undergoes about 12 hours of natural fermentation, then is sun-dried and hulled. Even so, farmers with some means always try to send their coffee to a washing station, to earn the better prices that come with the "washed processing" designation. At the stations, the cherries undergo about 12 hours of soaking and fermentation to soften the pulp, then pass through water channels while being stirred to separate the pulp from the beans, with the pulp discharged through gates.

Product Information

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

Sidamo G2 Washed Specifications

Country: Ethiopia
Grade: G2
Region: Sidamo
Roast Level: Light roast
Processing Method: Washed
Variety: Local native varieties
Flavor Notes: Honey, citrus, lemon

Brewing Recommendations

For pour-over Sidamo: use 15g of coffee grounds with a medium-fine grind (Fuji ghost tooth burr grinder setting 3.5), a V60 dripper and water at 91-93°C. First pour 30g of water for a 27-second bloom, then pour to 105g and pause. When the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g. Avoid the final tail. Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, extraction time 2:00.

Ethiopian Coffee Industry Overview

Today, Ethiopia's washing stations are growing in number and capability. Small farmers sell their harvested fruit to the stations, which hull it and resell it through auction systems. From there the coffee moves to the Eritrean port of Assab on the Red Sea and to Djibouti near the Gulf of Aden. Although coffee is the country's main agricultural export, domestic consumption is staggering too — about 1,500,000 bags (60kg each), or 50% of total production. Wild coffee grows in the tropical rainforests of the southwestern highlands and is mostly hand-picked. Many locals, however, damage natural rainforest areas — cutting or burning — to reach difficult mountainous regions, seriously affecting ecological balance.

Whether washed or natural, all exported coffee goes to Addis Ababa (the capital) and Dire Dawa in Harar province for auction and export. The Dire Dawa auction center typically exports natural Harar coffee from the region. At auction, daily information from different farms is available to help traders buy. Several government-appointed Ethiopian officials also visit the center daily to inspect and grade the coffee, and each time 3kg of green beans is randomly sampled from the same shipment for inspection.

Today, large amounts of wild Arabica still grow in many parts of Ethiopia, with cultivation averaging elevations of 4,200-6,800 feet. There is a gradual trend toward small-scale cultivation, generally with banana trees planted at the same time for shade. Due to a lack of agricultural technology, however, there is minimal use of herbicides and pesticides. Coffee is Ethiopia's main economic crop, largest agricultural export and an important industry, accounting for 60% of the country's total export value and sustaining 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 petroleum, and Africa's largest Arabica export. In 1997 the total value was approximately $300 million. In terms of production, 94% comes from small farms and 6% from government institutions. Because many farms are scattered and also grow other crops, accurate statistics are hard to compile, but official figures put the total coffee area at no less than 400,000 hectares. The Ethiopian government encourages local farmers to improve quality and productivity, helping coffee farmers expand commercial scale and increase capacity and exports. During the harvest season,

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Sidamo's honey-citrus-lemon profile is the thread that runs through Ethiopia's best-known lots, and FrontStreet offers several to compare. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic introduction, with white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a clean tea note. FrontStreet Gedingding Cooperative, from the Gedingding village in Woka, keeps the traditional washed method and shows citrus and lemon acidity with jasmine fragrance and no bitterness. For the southern Sidamo character specifically, FrontStreet Ethiopia Huakui comes from the Hambella area of Guji Sidamo, a traditional natural process dried 21 days on raised beds and roasted medium-light: light fermented wine aroma, florals, citrus and mango on top, with honey sweetness and a cocoa-and-spice finish over a thick, lingering body.