Where Are Arabica Coffee Beans Grown - Rich and Delicate Flavor with Smooth Texture

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Arabica Coffee Beans

As we learn about coffee, we often hear that Arabica beans taste better and should be the choice, in contrast to the less reputable Robusta. Why do most specialty coffee shops use Arabica coffee? Why is Arabica so favored?

Ethiopia is indeed recognized as the birthplace of Arabica coffee beans, yet surprisingly, coffee accounts for only 2%-3% of the country's GDP. The reason is not hard to understand: 35 million hectares of land are suitable for coffee cultivation, but less than 400,000 hectares are actually planted. The Ethiopian government is working to reduce the country's economic dependence on coffee by encouraging farmers to grow other, higher-yielding crops that can be harvested year-round. The policy needs time to show results, though, and coffee remains the country's most important crop at present.

Characteristics of Arabica Coffee

Arabica coffee beans account for about 70% of global production. They have excellent aroma and flavor, making them the only coffee species among the native varieties that can be consumed directly. But Arabica has higher demands for environment and cultivation — it is not resistant to drought, frost, pests, or disease, especially leaf rust (the plague of coffee), which can cause large-scale crop failures on coffee plantations.

The main origins of Arabica are Central America, South America, Africa (mainly Ethiopia, Kenya, and other East African countries), Asia (mainly Indonesia, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries), and Hawaii in the United States. Arabica coffee trees suit cooler, high-altitude tropical areas. They particularly like growing on steep mountain slopes, above all in terrain with wide day-to-night temperature differences, appropriate sunlight and shade, and frequent morning fog, which produces high-quality Arabica beans.

Sufficient humidity and moisture, together with fertile volcanic soil rich in organic matter, create an excellent growing environment. The main coffee-producing areas are concentrated in tropical countries between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, and coffee quality north of the equator is generally superior to that south of the equator.

Flavor Profile

Arabica beans belong to the small-grain variety, with a flat oval shape. They have a fragrant, rich aroma, a delicate and full-bodied flavor, pleasant acidity, a smooth texture, and less bitterness.

Knowledge Point: Most coffee grows in the equatorial zone between 25° north and south of the Tropics. The coffee growing belt and country of origin have a huge impact on its flavor.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste what Ethiopian specialty coffee is all about, start with FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe, an entry-level cup with clear jasmine fragrance and bright citrus acidity — the profile baristas are talking about when they say Yirgacheffe. The town sits in southern Ethiopia, spring-like all year, wrapped in mist, cool and humid, where thousands of coffee trees thrive and give the region its signature weave of florals and fruit acidity, light and elegant with a tea-like body. Ethiopia mostly grows coffee in a garden style, with each smallholder delivering cherries to a village-level washing station that sells under the team's name, which is why there are so many cooperatives of different sizes — Gutiti, Worka, Konga among them. FrontStreet's Gutiti cooperative coffee comes from Worka, in the southeast of Yirgacheffe, and began as part of the Worka cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Union (YCFCU); in 2012 the farmers around Gutiti, roughly 300 of them, broke away to form their own cooperative as consumers chased greater traceability. Pulping before drying leaves the coffee clean and transparent, showing citrus and lemon with elegant white florals and a bright, refined overall profile.

For the natural side, FrontStreet's Red Cherry is a full-red-cherry sun-dried coffee: damaged or moldy cherries are removed first, then the fruit dries in the sun for two weeks until the sugar and essence of the pulp have soaked into the bean and moisture falls to 12%, after which the hardened pulp, mucilage, and parchment are scraped away. The beans then pass density and color sorting, with defective beans removed, and workers pick out any remaining flaws by eye. The result is a clean, characterful cup with rich, alluring fruit — think peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon. If you want something bigger, FrontStreet's Huakui comes from the Hambella area of Guji, Sidamo, on a 200-hectare farm using a traditional natural method; ripe cherries dry on raised beds for 21 days, turned constantly for even drying, with defective or moldy beans hand-sorted every three to five days, and the dried skin removed by huller once it hardens. Roasted medium-light, it shows a light fermented wine note, florals, citrus, and mango, with honey sweetness, cocoa, and a touch of spice, a thick body, and a long finish.

Two more are worth seeking out. FrontStreet's Sidamo natural Hamasho comes from a washing station that is a regular on Ethiopian green bean competition lists, built mainly on disease-resistant JARC 74-series varieties — the 74158 is a little small in the bean with prominent florals and fruit. It smells of perfume lemon, strawberry, and starfruit, opens with clear strawberry, starfruit, and green grape sweetness, and then lets a soft floral note rise. And FrontStreet's Kafa Forest represents Ethiopia's wild side, where the trees grow in the shade between 1400 and 2100 meters rather than in backyards, with an untouched ecosystem, its own microclimate, red soil, and plentiful rain; roasted medium-light, it gives white florals on the grind, bright lemon acidity, sweet orange and bergamot in the cup, and a melon-and-nut sweetness with a green-tea-like body.