Ethiopian Coffee Culture, Ethiopian Coffee Exports, and Characteristics of Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopian Coffee Culture and Export Characteristics

Coffee at the Heart of Ethiopian Life

In Ethiopia, growing coffee is at once a labor of love and a vital source of income. The crop has woven itself into the nation's culture and economy in a way that is hard to find anywhere else.

Ethiopia is the sixth-largest coffee producer in the world. According to reports, in 2018 the coffee industry employed 20% of the country's population of 100 million, directly and indirectly. In 2017, Ethiopia produced roughly 470,000 tons of green coffee, of which about 160,000 tons were exported—meaning the country ships out less than half of what it grows. The remainder is consumed at home.

Coffee has been part of Ethiopia's social fabric for centuries. A common invitation to socialize is "buna tetu," which simply means "drink coffee." One of the country's best-loved proverbs puts it even more plainly: "buna dabo naw"—"coffee is our bread."

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If this glimpse of Ethiopia has you craving a cup, FrontStreet Coffee roasts a range of Ethiopian lots that capture the country's signature character.

FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe

The classic gateway to Ethiopian coffee. Look for clear jasmine aromatics and a bright citrus acidity, with a light, elegant body and a tea-like finish that drinks like a clean, refreshing glass of lemon tea.

FrontStreet Gotiti Cooperative

Grown by a cooperative of roughly 300 farmers in the Worka area on the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, and washed so the bean's own aromatics stay front and center. The cup shows citrus and lemon notes layered with elegant white florals—bright and refined from first sip to last.

FrontStreet Natural Red Cherry

Unlike a washed coffee, this natural lot is dried in the sun for two weeks until its moisture content falls to 12%, letting the fruit sugars seep into the bean. The result is a rich, seductive fruitiness—peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.