Coffee Bean Cultivation Regions Have Specific Locations - Interconnected Growing Conditions

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Coffee Cultivation

The origin of coffee trees is in Ethiopia, Africa. In botany, coffee trees belong to the evergreen trees of the Coffea genus in the Rubiaceae family. What we commonly call coffee beans are actually the seeds of the fruit produced by coffee trees; because they are shaped like beans, they are called coffee beans.

Climate is the decisive factor for coffee cultivation. Coffee trees only grow well in tropical or subtropical regions, so the area between 25 degrees north and south latitude is generally called the coffee belt or coffee zone. Not all land within this area, however, can cultivate excellent coffee trees.

Coffee cannot be cultivated in just any environment. Having originally grown in tropical rainforest conditions, it developed habits during its evolutionary history that require calm winds, cool temperatures, shade or semi-shade, and humid surroundings. Coffee therefore has strict requirements for cultivation conditions, and the strip of land between 25 degrees north and south of the equator that is suitable for coffee growth is what we call the coffee belt.

Key Growing Conditions for Coffee

1. Temperature. Temperature requirements vary by cultivated species. Arabica varieties are more cold-resistant and prefer cool climates, requiring an average annual temperature of 19-21°C.

2. Rainfall. Annual rainfall should be above 1250 mm and evenly distributed. A certain amount of rainfall is especially suitable for coffee growth and development during the flowering and young-fruit periods.

3. Light. Coffee cannot tolerate strong light and requires appropriate shade. Excessive light inhibits growth, and if combined with insufficient water and fertilizer it can cause premature aging and even death. Excessive shade leads to overgrown branches and leaves, sparse flowers and fruit, and very low yields.

4. Wind. Coffee prefers calm, wind-sheltered environments.

5. Soil. Coffee has well-developed root systems with shallow absorption roots, requiring loose, fertile, well-drained loam.

In short, FrontStreet Coffee is a research center dedicated to coffee, eager to share knowledge about coffee with everyone. We share without reservation simply to help more friends fall in love with coffee. We also hold three low-price coffee events every month, because FrontStreet Coffee wants more friends to enjoy the best coffee at the lowest prices. This has been FrontStreet Coffee's mission for the past 6 years.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Ethiopia is a world-renowned specialty coffee origin and, as coffee's birthplace, home to countless native varieties. For many coffee lovers it is a treasured place, letting them follow its flavors faithfully.

To taste Ethiopian specialty coffee, start with the entry-level FrontStreet Coffee Washed Yirgacheffe, with its clear jasmine florals and bright citrus acidity. Yirgacheffe is a small town in southern Ethiopia, spring-like year-round, hazy and damp, where thousands of coffee trees thrive and yield Yirgacheffe's signature blend of florals and fruit acidity, a light, elegant cup with a tea-like quality that drinks like a clean, refreshing lemon tea.

Ethiopian coffee is mostly grown in a garden-farming model, where smallholders send their harvested cherries to a village-based processing station and sell under the production team's name, which is why cooperatives large and small exist, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Gedingding, Woka, and Konga cooperatives. The Gedingding Cooperative sits in the Woka region at Yirgacheffe's southeastern edge and was originally part of the Woka Cooperative under the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers' Cooperative Union (YCFCU). As demand for green bean traceability grew, individual "single regions" were uncovered by coffee hunters worldwide, and in 2012 the roughly 300-member Gedingding founded the Gedingding Cooperative independently. Because the pulp is removed before drying, FrontStreet Gedingding's inherent aroma is clearer and more transparent, showing citrus and lemon character and elegant white florals in a bright, fine cup.

Unlike washed coffee, natural-processed coffee first removes damaged or moldy cherries, then dries directly in the sun for two weeks, letting the fruit's sugars and essence seep into the bean; once moisture drops to 12%, the hardened pulp, mucilage layer, and parchment are scraped clean, and the beans are screened by density and color to eliminate defects before workers pick out any remaining flawed beans by eye. The result is bean-by-bean quality, clean and distinctive with a rich, captivating fruit aroma. FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry sun-dried beans are described as peach, cocoa, honey, and lemon.

FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Huakui comes from the Hambella region of Guji, Sidamo. The farm covers 200 hectares and uses traditional sun-drying. To keep the cherries from molding or picking up off-flavors during drying, workers spread ripe cherries on raised beds for 21 days, turning them constantly for even drying and sorting out flaws and moldy beans by hand every three to five days. Once the skin dries hard, a huller removes it, and after the green beans are obtained the farmers do one final sorting for a flawless cup. Because the fruit and skin are present throughout drying, a medium-light roast brings out a light fermented wine note, florals, citrus, and mango, with a rich, complex body, honeyed sweetness, cocoa, and a touch of spice, and a long finish.

Also from the Sidamo region, the Hamasho processing plant has become a fixture on Ethiopian green bean competition lists for its excellent quality and distinctive flavor. Its coffee is mainly the JARC 74 series of disease-resistant varieties, and the 74158 has small beans with prominent floral and fruit notes. FrontStreet Coffee's Hamasho 74158 has an alluring aroma of perfume lemon, strawberry, and starfruit, entering with clear strawberry, starfruit, and green grape sweetness before light florals emerge.

Unlike the garden-farming model where coffee grows in a farmer's backyard, the Kafa Forest region is best known for wild coffee, with trees growing at 1,400-2,100 meters in shaded conditions; its pristine ecology, microclimate, red soil, and abundant rainfall give the trees an excellent environment. FrontStreet Coffee's Kafa Forest beans are medium-light roasted and, once ground, show clear white florals, entering with bright lemon acidity and notes of sweet orange and bergamot, finishing with a light melon and nut aroma and a green-tea-like body.