Flavor Profile of Sun-Dried Sidamo Coffee: Grind Size and Price Guide

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Sidamo Coffee Bean Details:

Country: Ethiopia, Sidamo

Grade: G1

Region: Michicha, Kelenso Moconissa town, Guji micro-region

Roast Level: Light Roast

Processing Method: Raised Bed Natural

Variety: Heirloom

Processing Station: Ardi

Flavor: Berries, fruit notes, jackfruit, white grape acidity, berry aftertaste

Introduction to Sidamo Coffee Bean Growing Region

In recent years, several coffees from the Sidamo and Yirgacheffe regions have been named after their respective cooperatives or estates. Beyond hoping to establish international recognition and product loyalty under their own names, the fundamental reason lies in the coffee farmers' confidence in their own coffee.

They insist on strict procedures for every step after harvesting, whether using washed or natural processing methods, both showing excellent performance. It's no wonder these coffee farmers have the confidence to promote their products to the international market.

In January 2010, the Eastern Africa Fine Coffee Association (EAFCA) selected Ardi, a Sidamo coffee bean from Ethiopia's Sidamo region, as the first-place winner in the natural processing category. The American professional coffee cupping website Coffee Review also gave it a high score of 95 points.

Ardi's green beans are uniform in size and color, emitting a rich fruity aroma. The producing cooperative is located in the Guji zone of Ethiopia's Sidamo province. Local farmers manually select coffee cherries with appropriate maturity for natural processing. During the 15-17 day natural process, coffee cherries on the raised beds are turned every two hours to ensure even and complete drying, followed by hulling and packaging. Unlike other Ethiopian natural processing methods, Ardi undergoes manual sorting before drying rather than after processing is complete. During the drying process, elevated raised beds are used, which not only increases air circulation but also prevents coffee cherries from absorbing undesirable flavors during drying.

About Ethiopia's Natural Processing Method (Raised Bed Natural Processing)

Traditional Ethiopian natural processing involved spreading wild-harvested coffee fruits directly on the ground for sun exposure. This method had two disadvantages:

1. After harvesting, beans were not specially screened or processed. Uneven appearance and maturity levels were mixed together, making the process rather crude, resulting in unstable coffee bean quality with frequent defective beans.

2. Coffee farmers typically found empty spaces near their homes for processing, so the ground often contained many impurities or dirt, making it easy for coffee to pick up undesirable flavors.

The improved natural processing method addresses these two traditional disadvantages:

1. During harvesting, only fully mature dark red coffee cherries are picked. Before sun exposure, beans undergo defect screening at the processing station, making bean size and maturity appear more uniform.

2. Next, elevated wooden frames or entire raised beds are used for natural processing, avoiding the risk of beans picking up undesirable flavors from the ground. During the sun exposure process, beans are carefully tended to ensure even drying and water loss; every three to five days, coffee workers manually remove defective and moldy beans. Therefore, by the time sun exposure is complete and beans enter the factory for pulp and fruit removal before processing, the vibrantly dark red coffee cherries already have very few defects.

After obtaining Sidamo green coffee beans, sometimes a final screening is performed to pursue perfect flavor, which is why this natural Sidamo coffee bean can achieve the highest G1 grade.

Sidamo Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's natural Sidamo Flower Champion coffee beans offer complete assurance in both brand and quality. More importantly, they provide exceptional value - a 227-gram package costs only 98 yuan. Calculating at 15 grams per cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 yuan. Compared to café prices that often reach dozens of yuan per cup, this is truly a conscientious recommendation.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473