Coffee Originates in Africa: Essential Knowledge of Specialty Coffee and Ethiopian Coffee Beans Introduction

Ethiopia in Africa is not only the birthplace of coffee but also a treasure trove of coffee genetics. Among the thousands of coffee varieties born in Ethiopia, just two—Typica and Bourbon—have spread throughout the world, establishing today's thriving specialty coffee industry globally.

What are the characteristics of Ethiopian coffee culture?

Located in eastern Africa, Ethiopia is firmly situated in the tropical region and at high altitudes, resulting in generally mild year-round climates in most areas. The people here primarily engage in agriculture and animal husbandry, with coffee being one of the most important economic crops. Legend has it that on the Ethiopian highlands, a shepherd named Kaldi discovered his goats becoming unusually excited after eating certain wild red berries. Curious, he gathered some to take home and taste. After eating them, he felt refreshed and particularly energized, so he shared them with villagers. As the news spread, coffee beans reached the Arabian Peninsula, where cultivation and trade gradually developed, beginning coffee's centuries-long global journey.

While the story may be just a legend, Ethiopians have indeed had a tradition of drinking coffee since ancient times. A cup of fragrant coffee in the morning is essential to start a refreshing day. In every corner of villages, the air is forever filled with the aroma of coffee. Here, Ethiopians have excellently preserved coffee's most original purity. They use iron pestles to grind charcoal-roasted coffee beans into powder, place it in coffee brewing pots, and as the boiling coffee gradually releases its unique aroma, they also add spices, sugar, and other seasonings for flavoring, finally pairing it with traditional bread.

Ethiopians have a coffee ceremony with a very long history. First, they roast raw coffee beans in flat iron pans until they are cooked, then crush them with a mortar and pestle, and finally place them in a clay pot called a "Jebena" with water to brew. When the hot water mixed with coffee grounds boils, it means the coffee is ready to taste. The coffee ceremony consists of three rounds. The first cup is called Abol, during which the elders say blessings; the second cup is Tona, when everyone begins to chat about daily life; the third cup, Beraka, symbolizes joy, and only after finishing this cup is the ceremony truly complete.

In the Ethiopian language, coffee is called "bunn" or "buna," and coffee's origin is Kaffa, so coffee is sometimes called "Kaffa bunn." Additionally, the term "coffee bean" is generally considered to be the English adaptation of "Kaffa bunn," and the English word "coffee" itself originates from the Ethiopian place name "Kaffa."

What coffee varieties does Ethiopia have?

Ethiopia's coffee cultivation is mainly concentrated in the western and southern regions, with more than half following small-scale farming patterns, also called garden coffee, which is Ethiopia's primary production method. It is understood that nearly 1.2 million local families rely on coffee cultivation for their livelihood, with each household's planting area not less than 4 hectares. Garden coffee refers to farmers managing coffee trees mixed with other economic crops in their backyards, typically planted alongside banana trees, creating unique green landscapes in front of and behind every household.

Due to the small yield from small-scale farming, there are various farmer cooperatives or processing plants of different sizes locally, mainly responsible for processing raw coffee beans from the region. During each harvest season, farmers package the fruits from their coffee trees and send them to nearby processing plants (cooperatives) built near water sources for unified processing, then sell them under the processing plant's name. For example, the Gedeb cooperative coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's bean list are collected from coffee fruits grown in the Yirgacheffe town area, sent by farmers to the town for unified washed processing, and finally produced and sold worldwide under the cooperative's name.

Today, all Arabica coffee varieties we can find on the market are descendants of Typica and Bourbon, obtained through natural genetic changes, artificial genetic modifications, and hybridization research. Despite this, the Ethiopian region still has a very large population of wild coffee varieties waiting for research and discovery. Due to the numerous coffee varieties, most coffee grown by local farmers in Ethiopia is mixed, as it cannot be precisely classified. Therefore, most Ethiopian coffee beans are considered mixed varieties and collectively called Ethiopian Heirloom.

Nevertheless, coffee grown in the same region/producing area can all become single-origin coffee beans (single-origin refers to a single producing area, not a single variety). Due to mixed cultivation, coffee beans produced by each variety of coffee tree differ in size and flavor. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee notes that coffee beans from Ethiopia marked as Ethiopian Heirloom have inconsistent particle sizes and emit citrus fruit acidity in aroma.

After light to medium roasting, Ethiopian coffee beans possess rich citrus fruit acidity, pleasant sweet and sour balance, and refreshing mouthfeel, which has subverted many people's impressions and understanding of coffee, thus gaining popularity among most coffee consumers worldwide.

Today, Ethiopia's coffee production ranks first in all of Africa and fifth globally. Therefore, Ethiopian coffee beans have also become one of the essential partners for many coffee beginners, as they offer high cost-effectiveness, lack the traditional bitterness of coffee, and are very popular among newcomers.

For this reason, a washed coffee bean from Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe producing region has become a member of FrontStreet Coffee's Origin Selection Daily Coffee series. This series emphasizes high cost-effectiveness and small packaging, allowing consumers to experience the unique charm of Ethiopian coffee beans without spending a fortune.

To ensure everyone can enjoy richer coffee aromas, FrontStreet Coffee guarantees that all coffee beans are shipped within 5 days after roasting is completed, ensuring that the coffee beans everyone receives are 100% freshly roasted.

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