Ethiopia | Exploring Sidamo Coffee Regions: Guji and Hamauch Coffee

African Coffee and Ethiopian Origins

African coffee enjoys remarkable recognition in the global coffee market. Ethiopia, an African nation, is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of coffee and stands as Africa's largest producer of Arabica coffee, boasting a rich coffee heritage.

Located in northeastern Africa, Ethiopia is a landlocked country covering an area of 1.1036 million square kilometers. The country's terrain is predominantly characterized by mountainous plateaus, with the Ethiopian Plateau covering two-thirds of the nation. The Great Rift Valley extends through the entire territory, with an average elevation of nearly 3,000 meters. Such high altitudes result in an average annual temperature of 16°C. The country's vast territory and abundant natural resources, including plentiful water resources, high-altitude mountainous regions, and over 50 volcanoes, make it an ideal region for coffee cultivation.

Ethiopian Coffee Regions

Ethiopia boasts multiple coffee-producing regions: Sidamo, Harrar, Kaffa, Limmu, Lekempti, Tepi, Bebeka, and Bale. With the development of specialty coffee, there has been an increasing demand for coffee bean traceability. Consequently, Ethiopian coffee beans are now more precisely identified by their sub-regions or processing stations. For instance, in recent years, sub-regions within Sidamo such as Arbegona and Bensa have gradually gained prominence.

Sidamo Region

Sidamo: Historically, Sidamo was originally known as Sidama. However, in 2004, the Ethiopian government, seeking to enhance promotion of the unique characteristics of its domestic coffee, applied for trademark protection for three regional names, selecting the old designation "Sidamo®" as the registered name for Sidama coffee. To this day, domestic consumers continue to refer to coffee from this region as "Sidamo."

Sidamo spans the fertile highlands south of Lake Awasa in the Great Rift Valley, with elevations ranging between 1,400-2,200 meters and annual rainfall of 1,200-2,000 millimeters. The high altitude, abundant rainfall, pleasant climate, and fertile geological nutrients provide an ideal environment for coffee cultivation. Furthermore, Sidamo features numerous renowned sub-regions where coffee beans are cultivated in different soils and microclimates, resulting in diverse flavor profiles and characteristics among Sidamo region coffees.

Arbegona - Rumudamo

Arbegona is a small town located in the north-central part of Sidamo, adjacent to another sub-region, Bensa. In recent years, the relatively well-known RumuDamo Coffee Industry Trade PLC is situated in this town.

According to reports, the company was established in 2015 by seven shareholders and owns 1,000 hectares of land for coffee cultivation, collaborating with over 300 coffee growers. The company focuses on improving processing technology and equipment, having purchased a wet mill in 2018 for processing washed coffee beans.

Rumudamo Company gained prominence in 2020 when Ethiopia hosted its first Cup of Excellence (COE) competition. The company participated and achieved second place, third place, and eighth place, instantly establishing its reputation. Currently, the company primarily cultivates the variety 74110, released by the Jimma Agricultural Research Center (JARC), as well as Ethiopian native varieties.

Bensa - Hamasho

Bensa is also a town located in the north-central part of Sidamo. Recently, coffee beans from Alo village in the Bensa region and Hamasho coffee have gained significant popularity, with numerous domestic and international coffee roasters offering these two varieties.

Hamasho is a processing station located in Bensa town. "Hamasho" means "snake" in the Sidamo language, symbolizing power and spirits. It is one of 16 processing stations under the renowned local coffee trader Daye Bensa Company. The company was co-founded in 1996 by Assefa and Mulugeta Dukamo and currently collaborates with 71 washing stations, 2,500 farmers, 4 coffee rural communities, and 11 drying stations.

Daye Bensa Company's headquarters is located in the capital city, Addis Ababa. The company operates 16 washing processing stations and 4 processing plants, with Hamasho being one of them. This processing station has also earned considerable fame, participating in the Cup of Excellence (COE) competition in both 2021 and 2022, securing eighth place in 2021 and second place in 2022. Additionally, the company owns 2 coffee farms and collaborates with other small-scale coffee farmers, aiming to research coffee cultivation, maintain equipment, and provide training and technical support.

FrontStreet Coffee's Selection and Tasting Notes

Currently, FrontStreet Coffee has acquired both Rumudamo and Hamasho coffee beans and conducted cupping evaluations. The Rumudamo coffee beans emit a lime-like aroma when smelled, and upon tasting, reveal citrus acidity, apple juice flavors, fructose-like sweetness, with a slight tea-like sensation.

Meanwhile, the Hamasho coffee beans present subtle floral and citrus aromas when smelled, and upon tasting, offer flavors of berries, grape juice, black plums, and plums.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473