The Origin and Historical Development of Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans - What Variety is Yirgacheffe Coffee

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Yirgacheffe: The Cost-Performance Champion

The once-popular Panama Geisha beans are renowned for their ability to cultivate floral and citrus flavors in the Americas, typically found only in African beans like those from Ethiopia. Compared to the high price of Geisha beans, it's no exaggeration to say that FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe coffee beans offer the best cost-performance ratio.

Historical Background of Yirgacheffe

Originally part of the Sidama region, the area near Yirgacheffe town was established as an independent famous coffee-producing region in Ethiopia due to the unique floral and citrus characteristics of its coffee beans. Today, fewer and fewer people search for Yirgacheffe coffee beans using the term "Yirgacheffe Sidama."

Ethiopia's official language is "Amharic," and the commonly used English term "Yirgacheffe" in the Western world is a direct transliteration from the original pronunciation.

Most coffee enthusiasts are likely familiar with Ethiopia, as it is the birthplace of Arabica coffee and one of the world's most important native/wild coffee gene banks. Within the country, coffee production is primarily organized through small farmer cooperatives, with the harvest season occurring annually from October to December.

Yirgacheffe is Ethiopia's most famous coffee-producing region, located in the small Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia. The harvested coffee beans come from local small-scale farmers, representing the collective efforts of numerous coffee growers. Initially, Yirgacheffe coffee beans were not particularly notable, as their small size didn't conform to the popular notion that larger beans are superior. However, coffee lovers who have tried FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe have been amazed by how remarkably floral and citrus-forward the coffee can be, with distinct lemon and citrus notes that leave a lasting impression. Consequently, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe has gained increasing fame, becoming renowned worldwide with the third wave of specialty coffee.

The Expanding Definition of Yirgacheffe

However, when people refer to Yirgacheffe today, they don't necessarily mean the specific town of Yirgacheffe anymore.

If you look at a map, you'll discover that the actual Yirgacheffe is just a small town.

Because FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe has such a distinctive and beloved flavor profile.

Therefore, Ethiopia's definition of "Yirgacheffe" extends beyond just a geographical concept. Under Ethiopia's ECX (Ethiopia Commodity Exchange) trading system classification, Yirgacheffe refers not only to coffee produced in Yirgacheffe town itself, but also includes officially recognized designated areas such as Wanago, Yirgacheffe town, Kochere, and Gelena Abaya.

This means that coffee not produced in Yirgacheffe town itself might still be called Yirgacheffe!

Understanding Yirgacheffe as a Flavor Profile

But perhaps it's best to think of Yirgacheffe as a flavor profile, much like oolong tea!

Important Notice :

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