How Ethiopian Bean Flavors Captivate - The Unique Taste Profile of Ethiopian Coffee Beans

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Ethiopian Coffee

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As early as the 6th century, people in Ethiopia were chewing coffee together with spices. Hunters in particular would wrap coffee with cured meat and carry it as the best of dry rations, since it eased hunger and supplied energy for the hunt. Chewing coffee has been handed down as a tradition ever since. By the mid-13th century, Ethiopians were already using pans to roast coffee, putting the country at the forefront of coffee culture.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and its coffee culture reaches back more than a thousand years, woven tightly into the country's history and religion. Traditional Ethiopian coffee culture is not something you find in a cafe. It is a form of etiquette, the coffee ceremony, in which coffee is prepared on the spot to welcome relatives, friends, and honored guests as a mark of the deepest respect.

Ethiopian Coffee Growing Regions

Ethiopia's geography suits coffee remarkably well. The country's nine major growing regions radiate out from the capital, Addis Ababa: Harar to the east; Sidamo to the south, where Yirgacheffe is the most famous coffee town; the Kaffa Forest to the southwest, home to the well-known coffee cities of Teppi, Jimma, and Limu from north to south; Illubabor to the west; and Lekempti to the north and south.

The main growing regions include Harar (HARRAR), Jimma (JIMA), Ghimbi/Lekempti (GHIMBI/LEKEMPT), Limu (LIMU), Sidamo (SIDAMO), and Yirgacheffe (YIRGACHEFFE). The soil across these areas drains well, runs slightly acidic, and is red and loose in texture. Ethiopian coffee is harvested once a year. From March to April, beautiful white coffee flowers bloom on the branches, and the fruit then begins to grow. From September to December, the red cherries ripen and await picking, and from November to December the new season's coffee starts shipping.

Characteristics of Ethiopian Coffee

Coffee beans are judged on their natural traits: size, shape, acidity, texture, flavor, and aroma. Ethiopian beans are small and fragrant. Their flavor range is remarkably broad, stretching from citrus notes such as bergamot and florals to candied fruit and even tropical aromas. The best washed coffees can express something elegant, complex, and delicious, while the finest natural-processed lots push out bold fruit aromas and unusually captivating character.

In short: FrontStreet Coffee is a coffee research house that happily shares what it knows. We share without reservation, hoping more friends will fall in love with coffee. We hold three heavily discounted coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants more people to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. It has been our mission for six years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste the two sides of Ethiopian coffee described above, FrontStreet's bean selection offers a clean washed Yirgacheffe and a fruit-forward natural side by side. The washed Yirgacheffe is the classic expression of the country: white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, a light, elegant body, and a tea-like finish that recalls a clean glass of iced lemon tea. For the natural, syrupy side, FrontStreet's natural Flower Queen from the Hambella area of Guji is hard to beat, with strawberry, passion fruit, jackfruit, and even lychee aromas, a pronounced sweetness, very little bitterness, and a smooth, juicy body.

FrontStreet's Kaffa Forest coffee is another good way to explore the country's wilder side. Grown between 1,400 and 2,100 meters in shade, it is roasted medium-light and shows a clear white-floral nose, a bright lemon acidity, sweet orange and bergamot in the cup, a faint melon-and-nut sweetness on the finish, and a green-tea-like mouthfeel.