What Temperature to Use for Pour-Over Sidamo Guji - Brief Introduction to Pour-Over Techniques and Coffee-to-Water Ratio

For coffee lovers who adore floral aromas, even if they don't know where Ethiopia is located, they certainly know Sidamo. This region has produced many excellent specialty coffee beans with not only rich, intense fruit aromas but also elegant fragrant notes, making many coffee enthusiasts fall in love with them. Taking FrontStreet Coffee's bean list as an example, varieties like Guhua 8.0, Santa Weni, and Alo all come from premium batches in Sidamo. So what factors enable coffee from this region to have such outstanding flavor performance? In this article, FrontStreet Coffee will take everyone on a journey to this renowned producing region.

The History and Naming of Sidamo

FrontStreet Coffee's research reveals that Sidamo Province was established in 1942, named after the local ethnic group called the "Sidama," who formerly constituted the Sidama Kingdom. There has actually been ongoing controversy about whether it should be called Sidamo or Sidama, but within the coffee industry, the term "Sidamo" has become more widespread, so we are more accustomed to calling it "Sidamo."

The main ethnic group in the Sidamo region is the Sidamo people, who settled in southern Ethiopia as early as the 9th century. They not only have their own language—Sidamo—but also possess unique calendars, festivals, and other traditional cultural customs. The Sidamo language belongs to the Cushitic language family, which is quite different from Ethiopia's official language, Amharic. The Sidamo calendar is particularly special: they have 13 months per year, with each month averaging 28 days, and the 13th month has 29 days. However, they only have 4 days per week, with 7 weeks in each month. Various festivals regulated by this calendar are also distinctive, such as the Sidama people's New Year called Fichee-Chambalaalla, named after a woman and recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

After 1995, Ethiopia adopted a federal system of governance. Simultaneously, out of respect for the cultures of various ethnic groups within the country, the local government also reorganized according to the residential areas and languages of major ethnic groups. Consequently, Sidama was incorporated into the newly formed Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), and the area was officially renamed to its original historical name: Sidama.

However, before the administrative reorganization, Sidamo Coffee (Sidamo Coffee) had already become world-famous for its unique aroma. Therefore, compared to "Sidama," people are more accustomed to calling it Sidamo. Additionally, when the Ethiopian government registered trademarks to protect coffee from the Sidama region, they also chose the old name Sidamo® as the registered trademark for Sidama coffee. To this day, domestic consumers continue to habitually refer to this origin as "Sidamo."

Geographical Features of Sidamo

Geographically, the Sidamo region is located in the highland areas of southern Ethiopia, near Lake Hawassa in the East African Rift Valley, bordering Kenya. Due to its high altitude, suitable rainfall, fertile soil, and countless native tree species, it is exceptionally suitable for coffee cultivation. Coffee trees here mostly grow at altitudes between 1,550-2,200 meters. High altitude means coffee cherries mature more slowly, forming more complex and intense aromatic structures, and the harvest season is also later than in other regions of Ethiopia.

Historical entanglements have caused Sidamo to intermix with other administrative regions, making it one of the most complex and difficult-to-understand origins globally. Compared to other regions, Sidamo covers not only a large area but also a vast expanse. The Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) has divided it into 5 areas based on geographical indications: A, B, C, D, and E. Each of these five areas governs multiple sub-regions, containing over 50 cooperatives and more than 200 washing stations. With the influence of different altitudes, humidity, soil types, and microclimates, there are subtle differences in coffee flavors between villages.

Regional Subdivisions and Famous Coffee Varieties

With the development of specialty coffee, some sub-regions with larger production and outstanding quality have been separated out for identification and export as independent regions. For example, Guji in the southernmost part was once part of Sidamo Region A. Later, as its stunning coffee quality was discovered by more and more international buyers, the coffee industry developed rapidly, and it began its journey as an independent region. Therefore, referring to "Sidamo · Guhua" today is incorrect; it should be "Guji · Hambela Guhua."

FrontStreet Coffee: Sidamo · Guhua 8.0 Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Sidamo · Guji Region
Altitude: 2,250～2,350 meters
Variety: Local Native Varieties
Processing: Natural Process
Flavor: Floral, Jackfruit, Preserved Fruit, Apricot, Juicy Sensation

In the origin region map drawn by the renowned specialty coffee green bean merchant Trabocca, the core Sidamo region is located within the newly established Sidama Region, additionally including parts of the Oromiya Region and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR Region).

Currently, Sidamo Region A includes Bensa, Arbegona, Bura, Bona Zuria, and Shantawene, which have frequently appeared in international green bean competitions, making the coffee from here far surpass other Sidamo areas in terms of fame, quality, and reputation.

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia · Sidamo Alo Hatessa Natural Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Sidamo · Bensa Alo Hatessa
Altitude: 2,180～2,280 meters
Variety: 74158
Grade: G1
Processing: Natural Process
Flavor: Magnolia, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Mango, Fermented Sensation

Brewing Recommendations

1. Prioritize using fast-flowing drippers. Due to the smaller expansion degree of lightly roasted coffee beans and the harder texture of the beans, extremely fine particles are easily released during grinding. During the water injection stage, they will also settle first, causing blockages in the final stage. Coffee brewed this way often has平淡 aromas and muddy textures. Therefore, it's best to pair with a fast-flowing dripper, such as the V60 that FrontStreet Coffee most commonly uses. Its spiral rib design allows coffee grounds to degas better while maximizing the activation and dissolution of acidic aromatic substances. The large filter hole at the bottom also accelerates the flow of water downward.

2. Water temperature should not exceed 93°C or be below 90°C. According to FrontStreet Coffee's brewing experience, if you want the coffee's acidity to be bright and uplifting with a tea-like aftertaste, you can use 90°C-91°C for brewing; if you want the coffee's fruit acidity to be full and robust while enhancing body, you can use water temperatures of 92°C-93°C.

3. Since the grind size parameter affects total time changes, under normal circumstances, FrontStreet Coffee determines whether the grind setting is correct by combining extraction time and coffee taste. It's actually quite simple: if brewing 15g of coffee powder using a three-stage method takes less than 1 minute 40 seconds and the taste is sharp, sour, and thin, it means the particles are too coarse and the coffee is under-extracted; if it takes more than 2 minutes 20 seconds and the coffee is bitter, astringent, heavy, and low, it may be ground too fine causing over-extraction.

As for the coffee-to-water ratio, FrontStreet Coffee believes that 1:15～1:16 are both acceptable. If you want the coffee to lean towards oolong tea or berry-like richness, use 1:15; if you want to more clearly perceive white floral notes and citrus acidity, you can use 1:16 to allow the flavors to disperse more.

Brewing Technique

First stage: Inject 30g of water for a 30-second bloom. Start timing while injecting water, using a small water flow to inject from the center point and spiral outward, ensuring the entire coffee bed is moistened.

After 30 seconds, begin using a slightly larger water flow to steadily inject the second stage of 95g water, with the purpose of raising the entire coffee bed. The water column needs to be injected vertically and evenly, at which point the timer scale shows 125g, completing around 55 seconds.

When the liquid level drops to about halfway, begin using a small water flow in small circles to inject the third stage of 100g. Try to control the water flow to not be too large, as it easily disperses the coffee bed and causes under-extraction. The final injection amount totals 225g, with a drip completion time of approximately 2 minutes.

This brewing technique yields washed Kafa with a very refreshing taste. Upon entry, you first perceive a mouthwatering sweetness and acidity like yellow peach, sweet orange, and grapefruit, with an overall tendency toward yellow stone fruit notes. Due to the addition of stirring action, besides rich fruit acidity, the coffee also carries a clear and moist sweetness, as if you're drinking a refreshing, sweet juice.

Important Notice :

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