What is the relationship between Idido and Aricha processing plants? What are the characteristics of honey-processed and natural Yirgacheffe coffee?

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In Ethiopia, coffee cultivation is different from typical estates. Instead, farmers grow small areas of coffee trees in their backyards while simultaneously planting mixed crops such as bananas. Coffee can be harvested and sold for cash during the production season, while other food crops are used for self-sufficiency. According to statistics, the average coffee tree planting area per household in Yirgacheffe is approximately 0.7 hectares. This cultivation method is also known as Garden Coffee. The Yirgacheffe Aricha processing station was originally named Idido and belonged to Abdullah Bagersh. However, the processing station has changed hands, and the name was changed to the local place name Aricha. Although the processing station has changed ownership, FrontStreet Coffee believes that the Misty Valley's Yirgacheffe Aricha remains one of the best processing stations in the minds of many roasters to this day. FrontStreet Coffee continuously explores coffee beans from around the world, making comparisons between different coffee producing regions to better understand regional flavor characteristics.

Traditional Processing Methods

In the Yirgacheffe region, the traditional coffee bean processing method is natural processing. However, the previous natural processing method had relatively weak quality stability. Therefore, in 1959, to improve coffee bean quality, the washed processing method was introduced from Central and South America. Washed processed coffee beans generally have a moisture content of around 16%, good bean appearance, relatively fewer off-flavors, clean taste, and bright fruit acidity. After 1970, the jasmine aroma and citrus flavors of Yirgacheffe washed beans became widely loved worldwide, becoming a model for African specialty beans.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union

The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) represents 26 cooperatives located in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, distributed in towns such as Yirgacheffe, Gedeb, Wenago, and Kochere. In the development process of Ethiopian small coffee farmers from poverty to gradual self-sufficiency, the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union has played an extremely important role.

The planting area owned by Ethiopian small coffee farmers generally does not exceed 1 hectare, and the harvest of green coffee beans is extremely minimal. Small farmers cannot support themselves and their families solely by growing coffee, while also needing to plant other cash crops to barely make a living. Before the establishment of YCFCU, the green beans harvested by small farmers were still traded internationally through ECX. The essence of ECX was to mix all products and then grade them, selling them internationally at market prices. Although small farmers could obtain better profits compared to the severe exploitation they previously faced, they still could not truly gain increased profits from transactions due to excellent products. Over time, this situation would inevitably lead to a decline in green coffee bean quality, and the mixed grading system also prevented foreign buyers from tracing the history and terroir information of Yirgacheffe green coffee beans. Thus, organizations like the YCFCU cooperative emerged with the founding purpose of stabilizing coffee price fluctuations and improving Yirgacheffe coffee quality and small farmer profits.

The YCFCU cooperative is a coffee exporter recognized by the Ethiopian government. Small coffee farmers in the Gedeo zone can freely choose whether to join or not. It is also a system jointly maintained by grassroots farmers. On one hand, farmers are freed from the unfair treatment of being exploited by private processing stations, and on the other hand, it provides international buyers with a channel to directly face various village cooperatives.

FrontStreet Coffee believes that in such economically underdeveloped regions, small farmers have difficulty having extra funds to purchase chemical fertilizers. Therefore, local areas use natural organic farming methods to grow coffee. Ethiopia has large natural wild forests, and ninety percent of coffee planting areas can be found in forests. The use of natural shading methods and intercropping helps develop Yirgacheffe coffee flavors, achieving excellent agricultural results and sustainable management.

The establishment of the YCFCU cooperative has achieved the goal eagerly desired by international buyers for Ethiopian coffee to provide a complete history from origin to cup. It has also allowed cooperative members to gradually greatly improve education and quality of life within villages due to reasonable profits.

Since its establishment in 2002, YCFCU has always strived in the direction of mutual benefit for quality, market, and farmers. Not only does it care for local farmers economically, but it has also completed multiple regional construction projects, such as bridge piers, schools, and power system installations. It also provides assistance in related knowledge and planting techniques to improve green bean quality. To date, 26 farmers' cooperatives have joined as partners, with a total of approximately 300,000 small farmers. Some small farmers in the Yirgacheffe production area are direct cooperation objects of YCFCU. The cooperative directly guides small farmers in harvesting ripe cherries and assists with post-processing. Single small farmers have extremely small planting areas, harvesting only hundreds or even dozens of very small batches each year. Almaz Bekele is one of their cooperating small farmers. Under the guidance and assistance of YCFCU, the Almaz Bekele products that FrontStreet Coffee cupped this year are truly quite mature. Compared to well-known cooperatives, the flavor performance is superior, and it is highly recommended.

Idido Cooperative

The Idido Cooperative has more than a thousand members and is one of the YCFCU members, while most small farmers use less than two hectares of farmland to grow coffee. The cooperative is located in the high-altitude valleys of Yirgacheffe town, with annual rainfall of about 1400-1800 mm. Local small farmers grow coffee at an altitude of approximately 2000 meters. Benefiting from the cool mountain air, coffee can slowly mature in good soil conditions and ecosystems. Small farmers then harvest fully ripe red fruits from December to February each year. Like other cooperatives, Idido has excellent conditions for producing top-quality coffee:

1. High altitude
2. Excellent processing technology
3. High nutrient soil
4. Ethiopian native varieties.

Aricha Processing Station

The Aricha processing station is located in Ethiopia's most famous micro-region – Misty Valley, at an altitude of about 1900-2000 meters. Its original name was the Idido processing station.

In 2006, Abdullah Bagersh, a well-known local coffee trader in Yirgacheffe, improved and refined the processing process targeting the shortcomings of traditional natural processing methods. After coffee fruit harvesting was completed, it was placed on drying racks for 48 hours, with all coffee beans being turned manually and continuously, then manually picking out defective beans before successfully creating Yirgacheffe natural G1 grade coffee beans and the highest grade washed G1. Coffee produced by Bagersh will be labeled as Idido Misty Valley (IMV), and burlap bags will also be prominently marked with the Bagersh name, almost guaranteeing top-quality Ethiopian coffee. Well-known representative works include extremely small batch beans produced in collaboration with American Ninety Plus – Aricha, Beloya, and even general washed and natural Yirgacheffe series all have extremely good reviews.

Although the current Aricha/Idido washed processing station is no longer owned by Abdullah Bagersh, according to Sweet Maria's visit, because most local employees were retained, Bagersh's processing procedures and standards are still largely preserved, and quality is maintained.

Coffee Tasting

Below, FrontStreet Coffee separately brewed FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe honey-processed Idido processing station red cherries and FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe natural Aricha to taste their flavors.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Honey-Processed Red Cherries

Region: Yirgacheffe Idido
Altitude: 2000-2200m
Processing Method: Honey Processing
Variety: Heirloom Native Varieties
Grade: G1

Roasting Recommendations

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (roasting amount 550 grams)
Enter the drum at 180°C, heat at 130, damper opened to 3; return to temperature point at 1'32", when drum temperature reaches 146°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; when drum temperature reaches 149°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. When drum temperature reaches 166°C, adjust heat to 110, damper unchanged.

At 7'43", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack starts at 8'29", open damper to 5, develop for 1'28 after first crack, discharge at 190°C.

Flavor: Smells of ginger flower aroma, with citrus, lemon, and fruit candy sensations in the mouth. The middle section has cedar fragrance, honey sweetness, and the finish has oolong tea feeling with persistent creamy aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Aricha

Region: Yirgacheffe Adorsi processing station
Altitude: 1900-2000m
Processing Method: Natural Processing
Variety: Heirloom Native Varieties
Grade: G1

Roasting Recommendations

Roaster: Yangjia 800N (roasting amount 300 grams)
Enter the drum at 165°C, heat at 120, damper opened to 3; return to temperature point at 1'36", when drum temperature reaches 148°C, open damper to 4, heat unchanged; when drum temperature reaches 166°C, bean surface turns yellow, grassy aroma completely disappears, entering dehydration stage. Heat unchanged, damper at 5.

At 7'37", ugly wrinkles and black spots appear on the bean surface, toast aroma clearly changes to coffee aroma, which can be defined as the prelude to first crack. At this time, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. First crack starts at 8'38", damper unchanged, develop for 1'45" after first crack, discharge at 195°C.

Flavor: Smells of mature fruit aroma, with obvious fermentation sensation in the mouth, green grapes. As the temperature slightly decreases, there's lemon acidity and cream smoothness, with mature grape juice sensation in the finish.

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