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Ethiopia: The Birthplace of Coffee

As we all know, Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee. Many coffee enthusiasts, as beginners to specialty coffee, have tasted Ethiopian coffee, with its citrus and berry acidity becoming the gateway flavor that draws many into the world of specialty coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee has learned that when many beginners first visit specialty coffee shops and ask baristas what types or origins of coffee are good, baristas will most likely recommend washed Yirgacheffe coffee and natural-processed Sidamo coffee. The floral aroma and citrus-lemon notes of Yirgacheffe, along with the berry creaminess of Sidamo, are the starting points that leave good impressions of specialty coffee for beginners.

Yirgacheffe: The Floral Citrus Gem

Coffee beans from the Yirgacheffe region are primarily processed using the washed method. Due to this washing process, the fundamental flavors of the origin can be more clearly discerned. Yirgacheffe coffee features unique floral and lemon flavors, with a clean and bright taste. Because of these distinctive flavors, the name "Yirgacheffe" gained significant recognition. Originally belonging to the Sidamo region, so many coffee farmers from non-Yirgacheffe areas began claiming their coffee was Yirgacheffe coffee that Yirgacheffe had to be established as an independent coffee region.

FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features several coffees from the Yirgacheffe region, among which Gedeb is recommended as the representative of washed Yirgacheffe coffee. This coffee bean is produced by the Gedeb Cooperative in Yirgacheffe, established in 2012, with most members coming from the Woka Cooperative, indicating their equally excellent washing techniques.

FrontStreet Coffee: Ethiopia · Yirgacheffe Gedeb Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Yirgacheffe Region
Cooperative: Gedeb Cooperative
Altitude: 2000-2100 meters
Variety: Local heirloom varieties
Processing Method: Washed processing

Sidamo: The Home of Natural Processing

As one of Ethiopia's famous major coffee-producing regions, Sidamo produces excellent quality green coffee beans, with the Guji region being particularly award-winning. FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features a washed coffee bean from Sidamo Guji that won the championship in the washed category of the 2020 TOH (Taste of Harvest) green coffee competition. However, when discussing Sidamo region coffee, we cannot overlook traditionally natural-processed coffee. FrontStreet Coffee believes that the most famous natural-processed coffee bean from the Sidamo region is undoubtedly "Hambella Coffee."

Hambella Coffee is produced in the Hambella sub-region of Sidamo, so its English name is "Hambella." Curious coffee enthusiasts might ask why Hambella Coffee is called "Flower Queen" (花魁). This involves a series of events. In 2017, African company DW sent Hambella Coffee to participate in that year's TOH green coffee competition, where it won the championship in the natural-processed category.

Later, Beijing green coffee bean importer Hongshun introduced the same batch of coffee beans to China. Its strawberry cream flavor was quite remarkable, leading them to believe Hambella Coffee had the potential to become the next Geisha coffee. The term "花魁" (Huākuí) in Chinese means "queen of flowers," so the Hambella natural-processed coffee beans from the same batch as the 2017 TOH natural champion were named "Flower Queen," expressing high hopes for its potential.

In the same year, at the China regional competition of the World Brewers Cup, Li Jianfei made a breakthrough among all Geisha coffee beans using the same batch of Flower Queen coffee beans, courageously securing second place. This event significantly boosted Flower Queen Coffee's reputation.

Flower Queen: Evolution and Variations

Recently, due to the chain brand Luckin launching Flower Queen 5.0 SOE coffee, Flower Queen Coffee's popularity has surged once again. Meanwhile, celebrity Li Guoqing has spoken out questioning Luckin's monopoly of the Flower Queen coffee market. Luckin Coffee stated they would purchase 80 tons of Flower Queen coffee beans in 2022, an astonishing quantity. The Flower Queen coffee we refer to is not simply natural-processed coffee beans from the Hambella region—it must be Hambella natural-processed coffee beans handled by the Buku Abel processing plant to be considered genuine Flower Queen coffee beans.

Astute coffee enthusiasts may have noticed that Flower Queen coffee beans from recent years have different names each year. For example, Flower Queen 5.0 in 2021, and Flower Queen 4.0 in 2020. This shows that Flower Queen coffee is named using the "Flower Queen X.0" format.

Following this naming convention, the 2022 Flower Queen coffee beans should be called "Flower Queen 6.0." That's right, the new harvest season of Flower Queen coffee is approaching, with Flower Queen 6.0 expected to arrive in April 2022. FrontStreet Coffee knows that many friends who trust FrontStreet Coffee are eagerly anticipating this coffee bean, and Frontsteet has also pre-ordered this batch at the earliest opportunity. With several months remaining until Flower Queen 6.0 arrives, loyal Flower Queen fans can only satisfy their cravings with Flower Queen 5.0 and Small Bean Flower Queen coffee. Fortunately, FrontStreet Coffee's bean menu features exactly these two Flower Queen coffee beans.

FrontStreet Coffee discovered from Flower Queen coffee beans in 2017, 2018, and 2019 that the aroma of Flower Queen coffee mainly comes from some smaller coffee beans within the batch. By 2020, DW's processing plant began separating these smaller Flower Queen coffee beans for independent processing. Therefore, Small Bean Flower Queen coffee is not part of the "Flower Queen X.0" series but has formed its own separate category.

By comparing Small Bean Flower Queen coffee beans with Flower Queen 5.0 coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee found that Small Bean Flower Queen coffee has a significantly higher proportion of small coffee beans. Through cupping comparison after roasting both types of beans, FrontStreet Coffee discovered that Small Bean Flower Queen coffee's flavor is closer to the 2017 TOH natural-processed champion's flavor, with intense strawberry aroma and berry sweetness; while Flower Queen 5.0 coffee leans more toward the elegant floral notes and bright, lively berry acidity characteristic of the Guji region.

Flower Queen 8.0: The Latest Chapter

Fast forward to 2024, Flower Queen has reached its eighth version, and the latest harvest season batch, following years of naming conventions, has been launched as "Flower Queen 8.0." Trying the new Flower Queen has become a top priority for loyal fans. To showcase the refined floral and fruity flavors of the Sidamo region while maintaining the coffee's caramelized aromas, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters used a medium-light roast profile for this bean.

FrontStreet Coffee: Sidamo · Flower Queen 8.0 Coffee Beans

Country: Ethiopia
Region: Sidamo · Guji Region
Altitude: 2250-2350 meters
Variety: Local heirloom varieties
Processing Method: Natural processing
Flavor Profile: Floral, jackfruit, preserved fruit, apricot, juicy sensation

Brewing Recommendations

In terms of brewing, FrontStreet Coffee has always advocated for conservative parameters and steady techniques. Since Ethiopian coffee beans are known for their bright acidity, FrontStreet Coffee's roasters use a medium-light roast profile for Flower Queen coffee beans. When brewing both Flower Queen coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee recommends using a fast-flowing dripper, 91°C water temperature, and medium-fine grind size.

Dripper: Hario V60
Water Temperature: 91°C
Coffee Dose: 15 grams
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: 80% passing through Chinese standard #20 sieve

When brewing, FrontStreet Coffee uses a three-stage pour technique to give the coffee richer layers. First, pour 30g of hot water to fully saturate the coffee grounds and let it bloom for 30 seconds. Then, starting from the center with a small water stream, slowly pour in a circular motion to 125g for the first stage. When the water level in the dripper drops to just above the coffee bed, continue slowly pouring in circular motions to 225g. Wait until all water has completely dripped into the server below before removing the dripper. The total extraction time is approximately 2 minutes.

Small Bean Flower Queen: Strawberry, cream, passion fruit, honey

Flower Queen 5.0: Floral, berries, citrus, mango, honey

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473