Recommended Ethiopian Coffee Bean Brands - How to Choose Ethiopian Coffee Beans - Flavor Guide to Ethiopian Coffee Regions

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The Origins of Coffee

In his sixteenth-century work "The Sleepless Monastery," Lebanese scholar Faustus Nairous Barlesius wrote that the origin of coffee was discovered by shepherds living on the Ethiopian plateau in the sixth century.

Coffee Begins Here — Ethiopia

Africa—Ethiopia, renowned as the birthplace of coffee. Some call Ethiopia the "Coffee Eden"—the first place in the world where Arabica coffee tree species were discovered. Coffee is grown almost everywhere throughout the country, with thousands, even tens of thousands of coffee varieties, and many wild varieties still growing in mountain forests that have yet to be discovered by researchers.

In this tropical country, approximately 15 million people work in coffee production-related industries, including about 1.1 million coffee farmers. Over 90% of farms or cooperatives in Ethiopia are small-scale plantations, producing mainly traditional Arabica varieties. Ethiopian coffee is recognized worldwide as a major producer that excels in both quality and quantity, with an annual coffee production of about 350,000 tons. Over 70% is exported to countries worldwide, accounting for more than half of Ethiopia's GDP, making it a very important agricultural export.

Ethiopian Coffee Bean Regional Flavors

Ethiopia is a world-renowned specialty coffee producing region. As the birthplace of coffee, it has countless native coffee varieties, making it a treasured land in the hearts of many coffee enthusiasts who faithfully follow its flavors.

The vast Ethiopian plateau sits in eastern Africa, with an average elevation ranking sixth in the world, earning it the name "Roof of Africa." The Great Rift Valley runs through the central region, dividing it into eastern and western walls. Deserts and semi-deserts occupy 28% of the territory, with numerous rivers and lakes, creating diverse geographical environments and hydrological climates. Consequently, Ethiopian coffee flavors are both diverse and exceptionally rich in complexity.

Notable Ethiopian Coffee Producing Regions:

Sidamo

Flavor: Floral notes, cocoa, grape-like sweetness

Sidamo is the main producing region for Ethiopian specialty coffee and the birthplace of the natural processing method. Most of Ethiopia's high-quality, flavorful natural process beans come from this region. Due to different soil components, regional microclimates, and countless native coffee varieties, Sidamo coffee offers diverse and unique flavors, moderate acidity, and excellent quality, with an annual production of about 37,000 tons.

Yirgacheffe

Flavor: Floral notes, caramel, lemon aroma

Located within the Sidamo province, Yirgacheffe is Ethiopia's coffee region with the highest average elevation nationwide. It produces some of Ethiopia's few washed-processed Arabica coffee beans and is rated as the finest among African coffees, earning the name "perfume coffee." Annual production is about 28,000 tons.

Harrar

Flavor: Fruity notes, cocoa, wine-like aroma

This region is an ancient city in eastern Ethiopia with a dry, comfortable climate. Using natural processing methods, it mainly produces the Longberry Harrar variety, also known as Harrar Mocha, the ancestor of Mocha coffee. The volcanic ash soil, abundant sunlight, and significant temperature variations in the growing region create the high-quality acidity and sweet flavors in Harrar Mocha, with an annual production of about 26,000 tons.

The Legend of Geisha Coffee

When discussing the Geisha coffee variety, most people first think of the award-winning variety from the Best of Panama competition—Geisha (also transliterated as "Guixia"). Many people don't realize that before Geisha arrived in Panama, it had a tumultuous history and journeyed through many countries.

Since its rise in 2004, the coffee world's new star "Geisha" has garnered worldwide attention. It is said to originate from the forests of Geisha Mountain in Ethiopia. After United Nations botanists entered the mountainous areas to collect bean samples, it was transplanted to Kenya for trial cultivation in 1932. It later passed through Tanzania, Costa Rica, and other countries before finally reaching Panama, becoming the now multi-award-winning coffee variety. This is why many who have tasted both Geisha and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee often note many similarities in their flavors.

The Beauty of Original Flavor

Coffee began in Ethiopia. From abundant native coffee tree species, through environment, climate, and human hybridization and cultivation, it has developed its distinctive regional flavors. In the third wave of coffee aesthetics, people advocate for tasting coffee's original flavors, rejecting harmful additives like sugar and milk. Consider this: a cup of black coffee with floral and fruity notes and a caramel finish versus one where sugar and milk have masked its aroma and texture—would you still consider it a good coffee?

Recommended Ethiopian Coffee Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's freshly roasted single-origin Ethiopian coffee beans—such as Yirgacheffe and Sidamo—are fully guaranteed in both brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, they offer exceptional value. A 227-gram half-pound bag costs only around 70-90 yuan. Calculating at 200ml per cup with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, one bag can produce 15 cups of specialty coffee, costing only 5-6 yuan per cup. Compared to café prices that often reach tens of yuan per cup, this represents excellent value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans, while also providing online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473