Is Sidamo Hua Guai SOE Bitter or Sour? Which Tastes Better: Hua Guai SOE Americano or Latte?

In recent years, many coffee enthusiasts have become particularly interested in the SOE Guji launched by Luckin Coffee. After trying it, they discovered that it not only lacks bitterness but also has fruity acidity, creating a very unique taste. Consequently, they come to ask FrontStreet Coffee what beans are used and whether they can replicate it at home. Since that's the case, FrontStreet Coffee will take this opportunity today to explain what "SOE Guji" actually means and how to properly prepare Guji SOE Americano and Guji SOE Latte.

What Does SOE Guji Mean?

First, S.O.E (Single Origin Espresso) refers to espresso made from coffee beans produced in a single origin (Single Origin). This differs somewhat from our previous understanding of espresso.

Traditional espresso has almost universally used dark roasted and blended coffee beans from different regions, aiming to ensure every cup of espresso has stable and balanced flavors, though often exhibiting a relatively intense taste. However, S.O.E espresso determines the roasting depth based on the bean's characteristics and uses coffee from a single origin, so the resulting espresso is no longer the balanced bitterness and intense taste we imagine.

The so-called "SOE Guji" is espresso made using Ethiopia Sidamo Guji coffee beans. When baristas add drinking water in proportion, it becomes a cup of SOE Guji Americano, which tastes sweet and sour refreshing. If you want to make SOE Guji Latte, add a certain amount of fresh milk to the Guji espresso, resulting in an aromatic and sweet taste with a long aftertaste. So the question arises, what exactly is the Sidamo Guji coffee bean from Ethiopia? Why is it so popular?

Why is Guji Coffee So Famous?

In coffee shops, "Guji" refers to a sun-dried coffee bean from the Sidamo Hambella region of Ethiopia, with the full English name "Ethiopia Guji Hambella Buku Abel." Broadly speaking, it's a champion bean from Ethiopia, while more specifically, it's a specialty sun-dried batch processed and produced by the Buku Abel processing station in the Hambella region.

The impressive nickname "Guji" was actually given by domestic green bean merchants after this bean successfully won the TOH sun-dried category championship, combining it with Chinese context to mean "the best among flowers." Later, with promotional support from various merchants, it also gained the reputation of "being comparable to Geisha." With its famous name, excellent quality, rich and juicy fruit flavors, affordable price, high extraction compatibility (easy to brew), plus a pleasant name, the combination of these advantages has not only made Guji stand out among Ethiopian coffees but also made it the first choice for many friends trying single-origin coffee for the first time.

If you search for the keyword "Guji coffee" on shopping platforms, you'll notice that it often comes with a number, such as Guji 5.0, Guji 7.0, etc., and many friends become curious about what this number means.

As FrontStreet Coffee just mentioned, before this bean was called "Guji," it only had an English name, which was "Hambella," translated into Chinese as "Hambella." To put it bluntly, what we call "FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Guji Coffee" is actually a traditional sun-dried G1 grade coffee bean from the Sidamo Hambella region, with "Buku Abel" processing station being its more detailed traceability information, located in Dimtu town.

After "Guji" became famous overnight, to meet the surge in market demand, DW Company increased the number of independent coffee bean drying processing stations in Hambella Wamena Wereda to 5, all located within the core production area of Dimtu town. Besides the original Buku Abel, four small villages - Buku Saysay, Haro Soresa, Tirtiro Goye, and Seke Bokosa - also joined the production of sun-dried coffee beans. It is reported that at this time, the annual production of "Guji" under DW Company had reached tens of millions of tons.

Starting from the 2018 harvest season, Guji (sun-dried G1 coffee beans) from the same growing area and same processing station already showed some changes in taste. FrontStreet Coffee discovered through cupping that although the 2018 and 2019 Guji had similar flavors to the 2017 Guji, they were inferior to the "first-generation Guji" in terms of body and aftertaste.

Therefore, to continue selling this sun-dried coffee from Hambella while making some distinction from the original version, domestic green bean trading companies designated an X.0 suffix for each subsequent batch starting from 2017. For example, the 2018 batch was called "Guji 2.0," the 2019 production was called "Guji 3.0 and 3.1"... last year's release was "Guji 7.0," and by extension, this year's latest version is naturally "Guji 8.0." This way, we can also easily determine which year's batch the Guji we purchased belongs to through this suffix.

How to Make Delicious SOE Coffee with FrontStreet Coffee's Sidamo Guji 8.0?

SOE preparation greatly tests a barista's extraction skills, requiring consideration of the coffee bean's roast level and gradual adjustment of different extraction parameters to present the best flavor and texture. If we don't choose good coffee beans and are unfamiliar with the espresso-making process, the probability of failure is higher, and the resulting coffee will either be bitter or excessively sour. Therefore, in FrontStreet Coffee's view, choosing a coffee bean suitable for SOE extraction not only makes it easy to make delicious espresso but also makes preparing Americano or latte coffee by adding water or milk twice as effective.

Take the FrontStreet Coffee Sidamo Guji coffee we're discussing today as an example. Because considering that people will use different brewing methods after purchase, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters specially launched two different roasting curves: one is medium-light roast suitable for cold brew and pour-over, and the other is medium roast suitable for espresso machines and moka pots. For example, if someone likes simplicity and convenience and chooses cold brew, or pursues a sense of ceremony through pour-over extraction, then medium-light roast can be chosen; if you prefer golden crema or hope to create delicate patterns on lattes, FrontStreet Coffee suggests the SOE roasting curve.

FrontStreet Coffee's SOE Guji Espresso Extraction Parameters

Coffee beans: FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Sidamo Guji 8.0
Coffee grounds amount: 20g
Coffee liquid amount: 40g
Grounds-to-liquid ratio: 1:2
Extraction time: 26-32 seconds
Grinding setting: Galileo 2.0 scale

FrontStreet Coffee uses a double basket capacity, requiring 20 grams of coffee grounds each time, with a grounds-to-liquid ratio of 1:2, meaning extracting 40 grams of coffee liquid within a reasonable time. The extraction time is related to the flow rate of the coffee grounds. Generally, single extraction time is controlled between 20-35 seconds. If less than 20 seconds, the coffee taste tends to be thin and weak, while exceeding 35 seconds can lead to over-extraction causing burnt bitterness. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee controls the espresso time within the range of 26-32 seconds during production.

Before extraction, we need to first dry the portafilter basket, turn on the grinder, grind double portions of coffee grounds, place them on an electronic scale to measure and adjust until reaching 20 grams. Then use a distributor to level the coffee grounds and apply vertical downward force with a tamper to compact the coffee puck, ensuring more stable coffee extraction.

Then turn on the extraction switch and release water for 1-2 seconds to moisten the group head while also washing away any stuck coffee grounds. Place an electronic scale under the cup that will receive the espresso and set the weight to 0, placing it under the group head during extraction.

Gently lock the portafilter into the group head and start the extraction switch. Observe the changes in the extraction liquid. When the electronic scale shows 40 grams of coffee liquid has been extracted and the time is approximately 30 seconds, pull the extraction switch. The brewing parameters will have subtle changes based on daily air humidity and coffee bean conditions, so it's necessary to adjust coffee grounds amount, grind setting, and coffee liquid extraction amount up or down.

The extracted Guji SOE can be consumed directly. Remember to pair it with a glass of water to cleanse your palate, allowing you to taste the dense crema and the rich tropical fruit aroma of the underlying coffee liquid. If you cannot accept the intense bitterness of espresso, you can also add ice water or warm water in a 1:4 ratio according to your preference to create a refreshing SOE Guji Americano, or add steamed fresh milk in a 1:6 ratio to soften the texture, resulting in a delicious SOE Guji latte coffee.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473