New Harvest Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe Bonga Coffee Introduction - Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Characteristics and Stories

FrontStreet Coffee · New-Harvest Natural Yirgacheffe Gedeb: An Introduction and the Story Behind Yirgacheffe Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperative sits in the Worka growing area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe. It was originally a part of the Worka Cooperative, which operates under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU).

As buyers around the world began demanding greater traceability for green coffee, small independent "single-origin" zones were gradually unearthed by coffee hunters. As a result, in 2012 Gedeb — with roughly 300 farmer members — broke away and formally established the "FrontStreet Coffee Yirgacheffe Gedeb Cooperative."

Gedeb village was among the very first village-level areas to strike out on its own. Many of its smallholder farmers had been members of the Worka Cooperative, so they bring considerable experience and skill to coffee production.

Green Bean Processing

The Gedeb Cooperative is often called the last unspoiled corner of Yirgacheffe, and it stays true to that reputation by using very traditional methods to process its green beans.

Natural (Sun-Dried) Processing

At harvest, farmers hand-pick only fully ripe coffee cherries and deliver them straight to the processing station, where they are laid out on African-style raised beds to sun-dry for 2-3 weeks.

Throughout the drying period, workers remove any unripe cherries, and experienced staff turn the fruit at regular intervals to keep it from spoiling and damaging the flavor of the green beans. Even the choice of breathable mesh for the beds and the thickness of the cherry layer are decided with great care. Once sun-drying is complete, the dried pulp and parchment are removed, and the green beans rest in the warehouse until their moisture content falls to 11-12% before export.

FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Banko Natural G1

Origin: Ethiopia

Processing Method: Natural (sun-dried)

Flavor Description: Rich floral aroma, fruit-like acidity, cranberry, plum, the bright acidity of fresh orange juice, deep sweetness — bright and clean, with a soft, balanced finish.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Yirgacheffe, a small town in Ethiopia's southern Gedeo zone, sits at roughly 1,700-2,100 meters, with coffee trees planted above 1,800 meters — among the highest coffee elevations in the world. Long known for its unmistakable white floral character and lemon-citrus acidity, Yirgacheffe became so famous that in 2010 the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange formally separated it from the Sidamo region, giving the world the household name it carries today.

If you love this natural Gedeb, the FrontStreet Washed Gedeb Cooperative coffee from the neighboring Worka area is well worth trying. Processed in the most traditional washed style, it has none of the classic bitterness — instead it offers a fresh, luminous citrus and lemon acidity wrapped in jasmine fragrance, a cup that many coffee lovers fall for at first sip. For newcomers to Ethiopian coffee, the FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the most classic gateway bean: white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, a tea-like body, and an affordable price that has made it the first specialty coffee for countless drinkers.