The Story of Ethiopian Coffee Beans - The Relationship Between Ethiopian Coffee Bean Grading and Defect Rate

Among all coffee origins, Ethiopia is the one most familiar to coffee lovers, it is universally recognized as the birthplace of coffee. In the beginning, coffee cherries there were eaten as fruit rather than brewed as a beverage.

Ethiopian coffee beans offer extraordinarily diverse flavors, ranging from citrus and florals to candied fruit and even tropical fruit aromas. The best washed coffees can be elegant, complex, and delicious, while the best naturals present bold fruitiness and remarkably charming aromas.

Regional History

Coffee was exported from Ethiopia as early as the early 17th century. Back then, Ethiopian coffee beans actually came from wild coffee trees in the Kaffa and Buno regions, not from plantations.

In the 19th century, Ethiopian coffee carried two classifications: Harari coffee (grown around the town of Harrar) and Abyssinia coffee (wild coffee grown outside that region).

In the 1950s, the coffee industry expanded and a new grading system emerged.

In 1957, the National Coffee Board of Ethiopia was established.

In 1991, a change of government opened the country toward the international market, which brought price fluctuations. Faced with volatility they could not control, coffee farmers were prompted to form cooperatives.

In 2008, the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) was established. Once coffee arrives at ECX warehouses, washed coffee origins are identified with numbers 1-10. All natural process coffees are marked number 11, then graded 1-9 based on quality, or marked UG for ungraded.

About Grading

Ethiopian coffee grades are determined by the number of defective beans per 300g sample, together with cupping quality. For exported beans, Grade G-1 is the highest, down to Grade G-5.

Regions

Sidamo

Altitude: 1400-2200 meters
Harvest Period: October - January of the following year
Varieties: Heirloom varieties

Sidamo coffees are processed by a mix of washed and natural methods and are hugely popular among drinkers who love fruity, aromatic coffees. The region also produces some of Ethiopia's highest-altitude coffees.

Harrar

Altitude: 1500-2100 meters
Harvest Period: October - February of the following year
Varieties: Heirloom varieties

Harrar is one of Ethiopia's most historic coffee regions, and its beans taste like nowhere else. Even as a natural, the cup can range from impure, woody-earth notes to vivid blueberry fruitiness. It often stuns coffee professionals, for many, Harrar was the region that first opened their eyes to how diverse a cup can be.

Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1750-2200 meters
Harvest Period: October - January of the following year
Varieties: Heirloom varieties

Yirgacheffe coffee is something special. Many washed lots here show explosive aromatics, rich citrus and floral notes, and a light, elegant mouthfeel. Undoubtedly one of the finest and most interesting coffee regions anywhere, its top lots command premium prices. To many tasters these coffees resemble Earl Grey tea more than "coffee," and they are absolutely worth trying. The region also produces natural-process coffees of unique and delicious character.

Cultivation Methods

Ethiopian coffee grows under largely extensive, all-natural conditions, generally falling into four categories:

Plantation Coffee: Intensive production on estates to raise yields. Generally state-owned estates use this method, accounting for 10%-15% of national production.

Garden Coffee: One of the most typical cultivation methods. Farmers plant coffee trees alongside other crops around their homes; garden coffee accounts for about 50% of total production.

Forest Coffee: Coffee trees grow entirely wild. People simply harvest and process the fruit from naturally growing trees in the forest.

Semi-Forest Coffee: Trees grow in semi-natural forest. To give the coffee enough sunlight, people trim surrounding trees and clear weeds, a light touch of human care.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Coffee's washed Yirgacheffe G1 (Kochere) sits at the very top of the Ethiopian grading table, G1 allows 0-3 defects per 300g, and shows exactly what makes this region famous: clear jasmine florals, bright citrus acidity, a light elegant body, and a tea-like finish often compared to a clean lemon tea. For fruit lovers, FrontStreet also roasts natural lots from Sidamo and Guji: the Red Cherry Project natural offers peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon, while the natural Huakui from Hambella, dried 21 days on raised beds, with the last defects hand-picked before hulling, brings light fermented wine aroma, florals, citrus, and mango over a thick body and long, sweet finish.