Characteristics of Ethiopian Sun-Dried Coffee Beans? Flavor Profile of Ethiopia's Kaffa Forest Coffee

Ethiopian Coffee Regions: The Character of Sun-Dried Beans and the Flavor of Kaffa Forest Coffee

Many people consider Ethiopia the birthplace of coffee, where the plant was first found growing in ancient "Abyssinia" - present-day Ethiopia. The region where these trees flowered was called "Kaffa," and the trees themselves were called "Kafa," likely the most original pronunciation of the word coffee.

The shepherd Kaldi and his dancing goats have long been accepted by coffee professionals as the earliest discoverers of coffee. Kaffa is prized for its wild coffee and its natural forest environment. Forest areas also yield local products such as honey, false coriander, Sichuan pepper and many other spices.

This coffee comes from Ethiopia's most primitive Kaffa wild jungle, where coffee trees grow naturally as part of the forest ecosystem, sheltered by rainforest trees. Fallen leaves and branches serve as the finest natural organic fertilizer.

Because the wild, ancient trees are tall and difficult to manage, farmers largely take a hands-off approach, letting the plants absorb the essence of altitude, climate and primeval mountain forest, day and night. Ethiopian beans are rich in chocolate aroma and wine-like fruit acidity. They are smooth on the palate, with a light, moderate and comfortable fruit acidity that lingers on the tongue. They carry a distinct wild ginger-flower aroma and black currant acidity, with a sweet aftertaste and lasting flavor. Tasted after cooling, they even reveal a nutty aroma.

Natural Sun-Dried Coffee Beans

Ethiopia Kaffa Forest Natural G3

Country: Ethiopia

Product Name: Kaffa Forest G3

Region: Kaffa

Processing Method: Natural Sun-Dried

Variety: Heirloom

Flavor: Floral, cranberry, berries, cocoa, fruity aromas.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee recommends brewing this natural sun-dried coffee with the following parameters:

Dripper: V60

Grind Size: BG 5R (58% retention rate on a Chinese standard #20 sieve)

Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15

Water Temperature: 91°C

Brewing Method: Poured over in stages

Use 29g of water to bloom for 30 seconds. Continue pouring with a small, slightly faster stream to 128g, then wait for the water level to drop to just before the coffee bed is exposed. Switch to a slightly larger stream and keep pouring until you reach 226g, then stop. Remove the dripper just before the bed becomes exposed. Total extraction time should be around 2'10".

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

This article is all about Kaffa Forest coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee's own Kaffa Forest beans come from exactly that setting - coffee grown wild between 1,400 and 2,100 meters under shade trees, on red soil with ample rainfall. Roasted to a light-medium level, the beans carry a clear white floral fragrance and a bright lemon acidity on entry, with notes of sweet orange and bergamot, a finish of soft melon and nut, and a green tea-like body. It is the most direct way to taste the wild, floral character described above, and it brews beautifully as a pour-over at the 91°C, 1:15 parameters listed here.