Coffee culture

Differences Between Natural and Washed Harar Coffee Beans - The Quality of Harar Coffee, "Wild Rose"

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). Ethiopia boasts unique natural conditions suitable for growing all imaginable coffee varieties. Among them, the most famous is Ethiopian Harar. Harar is located in eastern Ethiopia and is an ancient city with a long history, also one of the four sacred Islamic cities.
Harar Coffee Beans

Professional coffee knowledge exchange, more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

Discovering Harar Coffee: Ethiopia's Wild Gem

Ethiopia boasts unique natural conditions suitable for growing all imaginable coffee varieties. Among these, the most famous is Ethiopian Harar. Located in eastern Ethiopia, Harar is an ancient historic city and one of the four holy cities of Islam. The Harar region has the most suitable altitude for Arabica coffee growth, making it the highest altitude coffee production area in Ethiopia. Harar coffee offers a complex flavor profile - rich and mellow with medium to light acidity. Most importantly, it has one of the lowest caffeine contents at approximately 1.13%. It's also a very special coffee with an aggressive flavor profile that's ready to conquer your taste buds and leave a lasting impression.

Flavor Profile and Characteristics

The overall flavor is clean and rich, with a relatively balanced taste performance. Harar's rich and varied acidity and sweetness are particularly outstanding. It provides a very natural feeling without too many impurities. This is also a distinctive characteristic of Ethiopian coffee - always having unique flavor characteristics that leave a deep impression. In such hot summer days, a cup of pure and natural Harar coffee will surely bring your mood back to peace and nature.

The Legacy of Harar Coffee

When mentioning Ethiopian coffee today, most coffee enthusiasts' first reaction is Yirgacheffe or Sidamo. But there's also "Harar" - a name that shines brightly in the coffee world.

When mentioning "Harar," many associations come to mind: one of the four holy cities of Islam, pure-blooded BMWs, and of course, delicious coffee - Harar coffee possesses a wild essence and rich flavor similar to red wine fermentation. It's no exaggeration to say it's one of the world's finest coffees.

Geographic Origin and Properties

"Harar" is located in eastern Ethiopia. Harar coffee is known as the "wild rose" and has a mixed flavor profile - rich and mellow with medium to light acidity. Most importantly, it has the lowest caffeine content at approximately 1.13%. Harar coffee is also very special, with an aggressive flavor profile that's ready to conquer your taste buds and is hard to forget.

The coffee beans produced there are typically divided into three types: Longberry Harar, Shortberry Harar, and Mocha Harar. Among these, Longberry Harar is the most popular and has the best quality. These coffee beans are full-bodied with rich wine aroma, noticeable acidity, and a heavy, rich flavor.

Complex Flavor Experience

Harar coffee's flavor is incredibly rich. The initial taste is so complex that it's difficult to grasp all at once. The most noticeable is the bitterness. But this isn't because the bitterness is heavy - rather, it's remarkably similar to dark chocolate. The bitterness carries sweetness and a slightly viscous sensation. Although many may dismiss this description, believing coffee flavor can't be so rich and evoke such sensations, objectively speaking, this feeling isn't imaginary but truly exists in this magical coffee.

Harar's acidity is also quite special. Yirgacheffe's acidity is refreshing and clear; Kenya's acidity has a distinct red wine texture; Central and South American coffee's acidity is mostly light without much variation - while Harar's acidity is that of ripe berries.

Calling it merely acidity doesn't seem quite right. Just as Harar's rich flavors unfold suddenly in your mouth, leaving you pondering, the acidity isn't simple either. This acidity carries both the fermented sensation of ripe fruit and the dense sweetness of fruit at peak ripeness. This intermingling of flavors is the best interpretation of Harar's untamed character.

Aroma and Final Thoughts

Harar's aroma is by no means inferior to Yirgacheffe's. If Yirgacheffe offers a refreshing, invigorating crisp aroma, then Harar presents a calm, slowly unfolding scroll-like aroma. This aroma easily immerses you, with scents similar to ripe fruits making you feel as if you're in an orchard - a wonderful enjoyment.

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

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