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

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Among all coffee producing regions, Ethiopia is undoubtedly the most familiar to everyone, as it is recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Initially, coffee fruits in this region were consumed as fruits rather than beverages.

Ethiopian coffee beans offer extremely diverse flavor profiles, ranging from citrus and floral notes to candied fruits and even tropical fruit aromas. The best washed coffees may exhibit elegant, complex, and delicious flavors, while the best natural process coffees present bold fruitiness and unusually charming aromas.

Regional History

Coffee was exported from Ethiopia as early as the early 17th century. At that time, Ethiopian coffee beans actually came from wild coffee trees in the Kaffa and Buno regions, rather than from coffee plantations.

In the 19th century, Ethiopian coffee had two different classifications: Harari coffee (grown around the town of Harrar) and Abyssinia coffee (wild coffee grown outside the former 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, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front overthrew the military government, and the country began moving toward democracy. Ethiopia entered the international market, which brought price fluctuations. Facing uncontrollable price volatility, coffee farmers were prompted to establish cooperatives.

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

About Grading

Ethiopian coffee grades are determined by the number of defective beans per 300g and cupping quality. For exported coffee 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 mostly processed using a mix of washed and natural methods, quite popular among coffee enthusiasts who love fruity and aromatic coffees. This 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

This region is one of Ethiopia's most historic coffee producing areas. Local coffee beans offer quite unique flavors. Even after natural processing, the coffee might taste less pure, with woody-like earthy notes to distinct blueberry fruitiness. It often impresses coffee professionals, with many considering it the region that opened their eyes to the diversity of flavors in the cup.

Yirgacheffe

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

Coffee from this region can be said to be exceptionally special. Many washed coffees from Yirgacheffe exhibit explosive aromas, rich citrus and floral notes, with a light and elegant mouthfeel. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best and most interesting coffee producing regions; the finest coffees from here command premium prices. For many, these coffees taste more like Earl Grey tea and are absolutely worth trying. This region also produces natural process coffees with unique and delicious flavors.

Cultivation Methods

Ethiopian coffee cultivation methods are quite extensive (completely natural growth without artificial intervention), generally falling into four categories:

Plantation Coffee: This is intensive production in estates to increase yields. Generally, state-owned estates adopt this cultivation method, accounting for 10%-15% of national production.

Garden Coffee: One of the most typical coffee cultivation methods. Farmers plant coffee trees together with other crops around their homes. Coffee grown using this method accounts for about 50% of total production.

Forest Coffee: Ethiopian coffee trees grow naturally. After fruiting on naturally growing coffee trees in the forest, people harvest and process them.

Semi-Forest Coffee: Coffee trees grow in semi-natural forests. To provide sufficient sunlight for the coffee trees, people trim surrounding trees and remove weeds, providing artificial care.

Ethiopian Coffee Bean Brand Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted Ethiopian coffee beans - Washed Yirgacheffe G1 [Kochere] offer full guarantees in both brand and quality. More importantly, they offer extremely high value for money. A half-pound (227g) package costs only about 75 RMB. Calculating at 15g per pour-over coffee, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each single-origin coffee costing only about 5 RMB. Compared to café prices that often reach tens of RMB per cup, this represents exceptional 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 shop 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