Ethiopian Coffee · Commercial Grade Bean Region: Lake Tana Lakeside (Alternative Region) 09

Ethiopian Coffee · Commercial Bean Region: Lake Tana Area (Alternative Region)

Altitude: 1840 meters

Forest System

Monastery coffee is an extremely limited production from the forest areas around the lake—less than 10 tons a year—so it can hardly be called a proper coffee region. Yet the many Eastern Orthodox monasteries, churches, religious murals, and myths surrounding the lake area make it perhaps the world's most "divine" coffee.

European missionaries established the local coffee-growing industry, which was later taken over by coffee communities or cooperatives in the villages around the small town. There are no dedicated plantations here; coffee trees grow naturally, scattered through forests and fields. During harvest season, Ethiopian coffee trading companies come to town to buy the beans that farmers have gathered.

Lake Tana is one of Ethiopia's alternative, or less conventional, origins. The country also has fully defined regions, and Yirgacheffe is the best example: besides the town of Yirgacheffe itself, the area takes in three sub-regions—Wenago, Kochere, and Gelena/Abaya—and their coffee is classified under the Yirgacheffe name.

The information above has been compiled by FrontStreet Coffee. We hope this article helps you gain a deeper understanding of coffee.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If Ethiopia's forest-grown, monastery-tended coffees have you curious about the country's more defined origins, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe range is the natural next step. FrontStreet Washed Yirgacheffe is the classic everyday cup, known for white jasmine, bright citrus and lemon acidity, and a tea-like body, and it is a very approachable entry into specialty coffee.

For a small-lot expression, FrontStreet Gedeb comes from the cooperative in the Woka area at the southeastern edge of Yirgacheffe, produced with traditional washed processing that yields citrus and lemon tones with elegant white florals. If you prefer the fruitier side of the region, FrontStreet Red Cherry is a fully ripe natural lot with berry-juice body, honeyed sweetness, and a creamy finish.