Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Sidamo Region Black Honey Process 'Hua Kui' with Floral and Fruity Flavors

FrontStreet Coffee's "Flower Queen" carries a rich bouquet of passion fruit, peach and berries — a flavor that stays with you long after the first taste.

Only the natural-processed coffee from Buku Abel in the Hambella region can truly be called Flower Queen. There are nearly 20 processing plants in Hambella today, and among all the estates and plants it is the natural-processed coffee from Buku Abel that we at FrontStreet Coffee mean by Flower Queen.

The Origin of Flower Queen

Buku Abel is a small village ringed by mountains on the African continent, at an altitude of 2280 meters. December is its coffee harvest every year, when the surrounding hills are heavy with ripe red cherries, laid out in neat rows on raised African drying beds in the village — this is where Flower Queen is processed.

Every coffee tree at Buku Abel grows on the mountainside at altitudes of 2250 to 2350 meters. Farmers begin natural processing only once the sugar content of the picked red cherries reaches above 30. Over the first two days the cherries must be kept moist so that fermentation has enough time; at night the temperature here drops to around 12 degrees, which keeps the cherries from over-fermenting.

After 18 days of natural processing, the skin and pulp have dried out completely, making it easy to recover the green coffee inside. The green beans are packed and stored in a warehouse at 12-22 degrees Celsius and 45-55% humidity for roughly 50 days of resting and further dehydration. Once the moisture content reaches about 11%, they are hulled and sorted for sale.

FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Yirgacheffe

Variety: Ethiopian Heirloom

Processing: Natural Process

Altitude: 2000-2200m

Flavor Notes: Floral, citrus, peach, blackcurrant, tropical fruits, preserved plum, lychee, vanilla

The Story Behind Flower Queen

In 2017, Ethiopia's DW green bean company entered its coffee in the TOH (The Taste of Harvest) competition run by the African Fine Coffee Association, where its natural-processed batch won the TOH Ethiopia championship. That batch was imported that year by the Beijing green bean trader Hongshun International, and because of its championship status it was named "Flower Queen."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

FrontStreet Huakui is the bean behind the name. Grown in Guji Hambela, naturally processed and medium-roasted, it is an Ethiopian heirloom with elegant floral lift and outstanding fruit: creamy strawberry, mango, jackfruit, citrus and blueberry. The ripe tropical character of these Sidamo natural beans is what won first place in the TOH green bean competition, and it delivers that flavor at a price that makes it easy to drink often.

If you prefer a cleaner, brighter cup, FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic starting point for the region. Known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a tea-like body, it is both affordable and approachable — the bean most people taste first on their way into specialty coffee.

And for a more traceable Yirgacheffe, try FrontStreet Gudingding Cooperative. From Gudingding village in the Worka area at the southeastern end of Yirgacheffe, this washed coffee carries the fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity and jasmine fragrance the village is known for, with none of the heavier bitter notes of a darker roast.