What are the coffee processing methods in Côte d'Ivoire? Flavor characteristics of Côte d'Ivoire coffee

Coffee in Côte d'Ivoire: An Overview

On the west coast of Africa lies the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, or Ivory Coast. This small country has a substantial coffee industry, even though you are unlikely to find its beans in specialty coffee shops.

The Challenges Facing Production

Ivorian coffee consists mainly of lower-grade Robusta beans. In recent years, production has declined, largely because of a lack of investment and planning.

Historically, most of Ivory Coast's coffee was sold in France and Italy.

Ivory Coast Coffee Production

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire is a West African country whose English name is Ivory Coast, with a population of over 20 million. Its neighbors include Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Burkina Faso, and its southern border runs along the Gulf of Guinea.

Ivory Coast's main agricultural exports include coffee, palm oil, cocoa beans, and tropical timber.

Political Issues Holding the Country Back

In March 2011, Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo announced the nationalization of the country's cocoa and coffee crops — its two main cash crops — as he tried to retain power.

Alassane Ouattara, the winner of the November 2010 presidential election, found himself in a difficult position trying to get Gbagbo to relinquish power, which led to civil war and a humanitarian crisis.

Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa exporter, and the industry is a crucial source of income for the military and civil servants. In January 2011, Ouattara called for a ban on cocoa and coffee exports to cut off funding to Gbagbo and force him from power.

The Development of the Coffee Industry

After World War II, the local coffee economy boomed. By the 1970s, Ivory Coast was the world's third-largest coffee exporter and, for a short time, the largest producer of Robusta coffee. By 2000, however, political turmoil and civil war had sapped the industry's momentum. More fortunately, with a now-stable government, the industry expected to achieve 400% growth by 2020.

Because almost all the coffee grown is Robusta, the typical flavor profile features chocolate, nutty, earthy, and spicy dark notes, along with the variety's characteristic strong bitterness.

Common Flavor Profile

• Low acidity
• Medium body
• Chocolate, nutty, earthy, spicy notes

Common Processing Methods

• Washed
• Natural

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If the low-acidity, chocolatey side of Ivorian Robusta is what draws you in, a specialty Arabica can offer that same weight and richness with far more clarity. The FrontStreet Brazil Queen Estate, from Mogiana near South Minas, is a rare Yellow Bourbon grown on fertile red volcanic soil. It brings creamy peanut, toasted bread, sugarcane, and caramel aromas, mellow and clean-sweet, and it works as a pour-over, in a moka pot, or on an espresso machine.

If you would rather balance that low-acid comfort with something brighter, the FrontStreet Colombia Sidra is a rewarding step. Grown by Finca La Divisa at 1,650–1,800 meters and processed as a double anaerobic natural with a medium-light roast, it opens with jasmine and citrus on the dry aroma, then delivers passion fruit, blueberry, grape, and apricot in a juicy, layered cup, finishing with a lingering cocoa sweetness.