Sidamo Coffee: Origin, Naming, and Ecosystem

FrontStreet Coffee introduces Sidamo coffee, named after the region where it is grown.

The Sidamo Coffee Region

The Sidamo administrative region lies in southern Ethiopia, on the border with Kenya. Sidamo, Harar, and Limu are the three main sources of specialty coffee in the country. Yirgacheffe technically falls within Sidamo, but its soil composition, moisture, and other natural advantages have given it such a distinctive aroma and flavor that the global specialty community treats it as a name apart. That is why the market so often speaks of "Sidamo" and "Yirgacheffe" separately, in much the way a single celebrated vineyard can become a name in its own right within a larger wine region.

Sidamo Coffee Characteristics

Sidamo sits at an elevation of 1,400-2,200 meters and belongs to the garden coffee system.

As in Yirgacheffe, the specialty coffee areas of Sidamo rely on organic cultivation and hand-picking to safeguard the health of the trees and the quality of the flavor. It is also worth noting that Sidamo coffee has a lower caffeine content, and is often described as a naturally low-caffeine coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To understand what makes Sidamo and Yirgacheffe so beloved, the FrontStreet washed Yirgacheffe is the classic place to begin. Known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a clean tea-like character, it is the bean that has become the first taste of specialty coffee for a great many drinkers, and its approachable price keeps it in the daily rotation.

For a more specific expression of the region, look to the FrontStreet Gedingding Cooperative. Gedingding village sits in the Worka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe and was once part of the Worka cooperative within the YCFCU. As the demand for traceability grew, it was recognized as a single-origin lot in its own right. It follows the most traditional washed processing, and the result is free of the bitter notes people sometimes expect: fresh, bright citrus and lemon acidity and a delicate jasmine fragrance that wins people over from the first sip.