Characteristics of Ethiopia Coffee Beans: The Oldest Flavor of Sun-Dried Yirgacheffe

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FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee

In Ethiopia, people have maintained the tradition of harvesting wild coffee beans to this day. Coffee gardens situated at altitudes exceeding 1,500 meters have undergone thousands of years of evolution and adaptation, developing unique coffee flavors. Ethiopian coffee grown in natural wild environments preserves the most primitive and authentic taste of coffee beans.

Ethiopia is one of the main producers of Arabica coffee in Africa and is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee.

The Heirloom native variety of Ethiopia, as an ancient and premium coffee variety of the country, consistently demonstrates unique characteristics across various Ethiopian growing regions.

The Arabica species was most likely first discovered in southern Sudan, but it wasn't until it spread to Ethiopia that it gradually flourished. People there began consuming coffee fruits, initially as fruits rather than beverages. Yemen was the first country to cultivate coffee trees as plants, but Ethiopia had been collecting wild coffee fruits long before that.

Currently, approximately 25% of Ethiopia's population directly or indirectly depends on coffee production for their livelihood. The majority of farmers use traditional cultivation methods. Coffee trees are manually cared for, organic fertilizers are used, and harmful pesticides and herbicides are avoided. Therefore, coffee produced in Ethiopia is mostly organic. Due to different cultivation methods, coffee can be classified into four types: Forest coffee, semi-forest coffee, Garden coffee, and Plantation coffee.

Ethiopia is the place where coffee originated, with a quarter of the population directly or indirectly involved in coffee production. It is also the largest coffee-producing country in Africa, but 40% of its coffee is reserved for domestic consumption, demonstrating that coffee is an indispensable part of local life.

Yirgacheffe is one of the highest-altitude coffee-growing regions in Ethiopia. The production methods and flavors here are so distinctive that coffee farmers take pride in having their coffee exhibit Yirgacheffe characteristics, making it the most famous growing region in Africa.

Natural Processing Method

After coffee cherries are harvested, they undergo manual selection. Following selection, the coffee cherries are spread on the ground or on drying racks for drying. Finally, the dried husks are removed to obtain green beans. Coffee processed using the natural method typically has lower acidity, more pronounced sweetness, higher body, and slightly less cleanliness.

What are the advantages of the natural processing method? The greatest advantage is water conservation and reduced water pollution. Of course, refined natural processing requires more labor and time, and the flavors are typically more prominent and distinctive, often commanding higher prices than washed coffees.

Knowledge Point: Ethiopia, one of the world's least developed countries, has been recognized as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, and could even be considered the birthplace of coffee itself.

In Brief

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