African Countries Famous for Coffee Production: An Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee Culture and Flavor Characteristics

FrontStreet Coffee - African Coffee Origins: Introduction to Kenyan Coffee Grades

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The origin of coffee is subject to various theories, but when mentioning coffee, one cannot help but think of Africa. It is said that coffee originated in the KAFFA province of Ethiopia. Legend has it that a shepherd named Kaldi from Kaffa was herding on the Ethiopian grasslands when he noticed that after eating certain red fruits, his flock became extremely excited and lively. Curious, he tasted one himself and found it pleasantly sweet and sour. He then collected some and gave them to the imam of a mosque to taste. After trying them, the imam felt unusually energized and stayed awake praying all night. He then recommended them to other worshippers, who all particularly enjoyed them.

Since fresh fruits were difficult to preserve, they were later dried and then steeped in water to drink. Thus, the magical effects of these fruits began to spread. Later, coffee was introduced to Arabia, where Arabs began to consume it in large quantities, initially mainly as wine and medicine. It wasn't until around the 11th century that people began to drink ground coffee beans as a beverage. The word "coffee" comes from the Arabic "Qahwa," meaning "plant beverage," which later spread to Turkey and then to Europe.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is located in East Africa, and its southern Kaffa region forests alone contain as many as 5,000 different wild coffee bean varieties. It is generally believed that Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Local residents discovered that after cattle and sheep ate plants bearing red fruits, they became extremely excited, extraordinarily strong, and even seemed slightly mad. The locals then tried the fruits themselves and gradually found that they also became more energetic. Thus, they began to collect and deliberately cultivate them. Because they came from Kaffa, the world gradually named them "Coffee."

Ethiopia possesses the most diverse varieties on Earth. The main coffee bean producing regions include nine areas: Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harar, Limu, Jimma, Illubabor, Bebeka (Lekempti), Tepi, and the shores of Lake Tana.

Knowledge Expansion

Coffee varieties are rich and diverse, and coffee beans from different regions are influenced by topography, environment, and other factors, resulting in unique flavor characteristics. The main coffee-producing areas are between the equator and 15 degrees north latitude.

In Brief

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