What is Ethiopia's Most Famous Coffee Variety? Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee Types and Flavors

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Honey Red Cherry Variety - Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee Varieties

In the coffee world, the term "heirloom varieties" applies to cultivars introduced to South America and Asia over a hundred years ago, as well as many coffee varieties from Africa, particularly those from Ethiopia.

Ethiopian coffee varieties are divided into two categories: JARC varieties and regional landraces.

JARC varieties are cultivars developed by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center, an institution of the Ethiopian Federal Agricultural Research Center, primarily established to study pest resistance and yield improvement. There are approximately 40 varieties within this system. Regional landraces, on the other hand, are wild varieties that grow in the Ethiopian wilderness. Getu indicates that these wild varieties may exceed 10,000 types. This means that when consumers purchase a bag of Ethiopian coffee and see "heirloom varieties" labeled on the bag, this coffee could potentially be a combination from among these more than 10,000 varieties.

There are nearly 2,000 recorded coffee varieties in Ethiopia, including 1,927 native varieties and 128 introduced foreign varieties. Therefore, judging by appearance alone, Ethiopian coffee varieties are like a "grand garden" – containing everything imaginable: long, short, thin, plump...

Elongated Bean Varieties

These are found throughout all coffee-growing regions of Ethiopia. Based on observed proportions, western regions like Jimma, including Limmu and Kaffa, have more elongated bean varieties, while they are less common in Sidama or Yirgacheffe.

Small Bean Varieties

These have a more rounded appearance and are very small, mostly between 14-15 screen size. This variety should be the most familiar to us, as they are frequently seen in Sidama and Yirgacheffe. I have also seen them in a Harrar sample and among green coffee beans sold locally in Jimma. Compared to other regions, Sidama, Yirgacheffe, and surrounding areas like Arsi and Guji have more plantings of these small-bean heirloom varieties.

Ethiopian coffee cultivation is primarily concentrated in the western and southern regions, with smallholder families accounting for 90% of total cultivation. Nearly 1.2 million smallholder families rely on coffee cultivation for their livelihood. Each household's planting area is less than 4 hectares, with an average cultivation altitude between 1,000-2,300 meters, planting density of 1,000-1,800 coffee trees per hectare, and yielding approximately 600kg per hectare.

FrontStreet Coffee's Red Honey Red Cherry

Yirgacheffe Red Honey Processing

Region: Yirgacheffe, Idido

Altitude: 2,000-2,200m

Processing Method: Red Honey Processing

Variety: Local Heirloom Varieties

Grade: G1

Flavor Profile: Aroma carries ginger flower notes; entry reveals citrus, lemon, and fruit candy sensations. The mid-section features cedar aroma with honey sweetness, while the finish presents oolong tea notes and a persistent creamy aftertaste.