The Origin History of Sidamo Region | Introduction to Bensa Aro Village Coffee Beans

The Origin History of Sidamo

Sidamo is a famous coffee region that anyone who loves floral and fruity flavors simply cannot overlook. As one of Africa's most prominent coffee origins, Ethiopia has many specialty representatives, but Sidamo has captivated coffee lovers worldwide for years with its rich florals and fruit, becoming a name that connoisseurs seek out on purpose.

The Sidamo region sits in the highlands of the East African Rift Valley, with average annual rainfall of 1,550-2,220 mm. Abundant rain, suitable temperatures, fertile soil, and high altitude are all key to Sidamo's fame. As one of Ethiopia's three official producing regions, it offers diversity, high quality, and complex flavor. Through cupping comparisons of various excellent Sidamo single origins, FrontStreet Coffee has found that they mainly present bright acidity, a thick and smooth mouthfeel, and rich layers of interwoven spice, flower, and fruit. At FrontStreet Coffee there are already several lots within the Sidamo category alone, such as FrontStreet Coffee's Flower Queen 8.0, FrontStreet Coffee's Santa Vini, and FrontStreet Coffee's ALO Natural — a sign of just how popular coffee from the region is.

Sidamo vs. Sidama

Have you noticed that whenever we dig into this region's story, two different names appear: Sidamo and Sidama.

Sidamo's pronunciation comes from the indigenous Sidama people. Like other ethnic groups in Ethiopia, the Sidama have their own traditions and culture, and even their own New Year recognized by UNESCO — Fiche Chambalala, which brings together more than 5 million people in the capital Hawassa to celebrate each year. As early as the late 18th to early 19th century, the region was invaded and annexed, and the invaders pronounced Sidama as "Sidamo." The name therefore carries a humiliating connotation for the Sidama people. By the 1990s, the Ethiopian government began implementing a federal system, reorganizing by major ethnic residential areas and languages. Sidama accordingly reverted to its original historical name: Sidama.

Before the administrative reorganization, though, Sidamo Coffee had already become world-famous for its unique aroma. Compared with Sidama, people are more used to calling it Sidamo. And when the Ethiopian government registered trademarks to protect Sidama coffee, it also chose the old name "Sidamo®" as the official registered trademark. To this day, domestic consumers are more accustomed to calling coffee from this region "Sidamo."

The COE competitions in 2020 and 2021 were both held in Ethiopia. Among the Sidamo micro-regions that reached the COE rankings, four towns stood out: Arbegona, Bensa, Bura, and Bona Zuria. These four are geographically close, all in the Sidamo highland area. In the 2021 COE Sidamo rankings, all five champion farms came from Bensa town.

Coffee Varieties in Sidamo

Ethiopia's coffee varieties are diverse, categorized mainly into two types: traditional regional landraces and selected numerical varieties from JARC (the Jimma Agricultural Research Center). Common regional varieties in Sidamo include Dega, Wolisho, and Kurume. In the 2020 and 2021 COE competitions, the varieties representing the Sidama region came from JARC's numerical series. Among them, the 2020 COE champion coffee variety from Bura town was 74158, while the 2021 COE champion from Bensa town was 74165.

Bensa: The Star Micro-region

Bensa is located in the Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia, at an altitude of 1,800-2,300 meters. The high altitude contributes to complex coffee flavors. In Bensa, one can taste typical, intense fruity flavors, sometimes with strawberry notes.

Bensa beans can be processed using washed, natural, and red honey methods. Washed Bensa offers bright aromas and pleasant acidity. During harvest, farmers deliver ripe cherries to the processing station, where they are screened and classified. The pulp is removed, and the beans are fermented before being cleaned thoroughly with clear water and placed on drying beds. Notably, during drying the beans need to be turned every 2-3 hours for the first few days. Depending on the weather, the coffee dries for 12-15 days until the moisture content drops to 11.5%.

Bensa sounds like a herbal tea from Guangdong, China, but it is not a tea. Bensa beans offer a unique and delicate mouthfeel — mild yet rich, with fruity aromas, a smooth texture, and a long aftertaste. By now you are probably craving coffee from this small micro-region. To let everyone experience the refined taste of Bensa, FrontStreet Coffee has recently launched FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Natural Alo Coffee from high-altitude regions, processed using the natural method.

Natural Processing

Before natural processing begins, farmers first hand-pick fully ripe cherries, then transport them to the Hatessa processing station for initial screening. Before drying, the cherries are classified again by skin color, removing overripe and underripe fruit so that maturity is uniform.

For natural coffee, the farmers handling post-processing must turn the cherries diligently on the drying beds during the first three days, since moisture content is high in that period. If not turned promptly, the cherries can easily develop mold or unpleasant sour or rotten-fruit flavors from uneven heating. Throughout the process, the cherries are spread in a thin layer for better ventilation and drying. After 14-18 days, once the moisture content reaches the target, the coffee can be bagged and sent to the warehouse.

Cupping it, FrontStreet Coffee first encounters the sweet floral and fruity aromas of FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Natural Alo. The dry aroma features distinct magnolia, pineapple, yellow peach, and small mango, accompanied by a pleasant fermented sweetness that is genuinely delightful.

On the slurp, the entry reveals full-bodied tropical fruit sweetness and acidity, with prominent ripe pineapple, passion fruit, and perfumed lemon, plus slight black tea notes. The gentle fermented sensation combined with light florals makes you want a second sip. As the temperature drops slightly, stone fruit like yellow peach and dried apricot emerges. The fruit acidity is clear, bright, and layered — quite special.

Brewing Recommendations

FrontStreet Coffee's Ethiopia Alo Natural Coffee brewing recommendations:

Dripper: V60
Water Temperature: 92-93°C
Coffee Amount: 15g
Coffee-to-Water Ratio: 1:15
Grind Size: Fine sugar size (78% retention on No. 20 standard sieve)
Pouring Method: Three-stage pour

Three-stage pour: Use twice the amount of water as coffee grounds to wet the bed, forming a dome, and let it bloom for 30 seconds. Then, with a small stream, pour in concentric circles from inside out until reaching 125g, then pause. Wait for the water level to drop to half the dripper, then continue with the same fine stream for the third stage to 225g. Remove the dripper once all the coffee liquid has filtered through, taking approximately 2 minutes.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

To taste what Sidamo's micro-regions can do, start with FrontStreet's Flower Queen. It comes from the Hambella area of Guji in Sidamo, where the farm spans 200 hectares and uses traditional natural processing: the ripe cherries are dried on raised beds for 21 days, turned constantly, and hand-sorted for defects every three to five days. Roasted medium-light, it shows a light fermented wine aroma, florals, citrus, and mango, with honey sweetness, a cocoa undertone, a hint of spice, a thick body, and a lasting finish.

If you want the modern, JARC-numbered side of Sidamo, FrontStreet's Hamasho Natural is a natural-process lot that has become a fixture on Ethiopian green-bean competition lists. Built mainly on JARC's disease-resistant 74-series varieties — with 74158 carrying smaller beans and a pronounced floral-fruit character — it offers scents of perfumed lemon, strawberry, and carambola, and on the palate the sweet notes of strawberry, carambola, and green grape, with gentle florals emerging afterward.