Is Yirgacheffe Coffee an Arabica Bean? Characteristics of Yirgacheffe Coffee Varieties

The long-standing Arabica varieties, high-altitude growing environments, and generations of coffee cultivation-harvesting-processing experience have created a smooth, rich, and layered delicious coffee flavor.

Ethiopia is a magical country, the birthplace of Arabica coffee beans. The Kaffa Forest is where it all began, and Ethiopia is also one of Africa's major coffee-producing countries. Ethiopia is the origin of Arabica coffee, containing thousands of natural coffee varieties—99% of coffee variety genetic genes can be found in Ethiopia. Due to the numerous varieties and difficulty in classification and identification, coupled with the Ethiopian government's reluctance to disclose variety information to protect natural coffee, Ethiopian exported coffee beans are often collectively referred to as "Heirloom" native varieties.

Among all coffee production, Arabica varieties account for 70%-80%, and their excellent flavor and aroma make them the best among all coffee native varieties. Ethiopian coffee beans are typically uneven in size and smaller than those from other producing countries, with a more rounded appearance, very small beans, mostly between 14-15 mesh.

Arabica beans usually appear as specialty coffee. However, they have low resistance to drought, frost, pests, and diseases, particularly coffee's archenemy—leaf rust disease—so producing countries are committed to variety improvement. Originally, all commercial coffee in the world was Arabica, but by the late 19th century, rampant leaf rust disease caused the collapse of many coffee plantations, and growers began seeking other disease-resistant varieties. Arabica remains the most important coffee variety, accounting for about 3/4 of world coffee production. It is mainly grown in Latin American countries, with some cultivation in Indonesia and Pacific islands. Brazil, the world's largest coffee-producing region, has geographical and climatic conditions highly suitable for Arabica growth, with Arabica as the main coffee variety cultivated. Brazil's coffee production accounts for more than 1/3 of world total production. Arabica fruits are smaller than Robusta and Liberica varieties, with oval-shaped berries typically containing two seeds—the so-called "coffee beans."

Arabica is just a very broad classification, with many branch varieties underneath. Arabica has two main derivative varieties—Typica and Bourbon—as well as their derived varieties, experimental varieties, hybrid varieties, and more. Commonly heard varieties include Catuai, Catimor, and countless others. Ethiopia is Africa's largest Arabica-producing country, with over two thousand varieties under Arabica, all derived from Ethiopia's most ancient Typica transplanted to Central and South America or Asia and then mutated. Ethiopia is a genetic treasure trove of Arabica, estimated to have at least 2,000 varieties, while Ethiopian authorities claim that less than 5% of Arabica varieties within the country have been deeply studied and confirmed for their morphology and habits.

Ethiopia is Africa's largest coffee-producing country. Here, coffee is not only an important source of income for the Ethiopian people but has also integrated into their entire national culture and life. According to official Ethiopian data, of the nearly 6.5 million bags annual production, about half is consumed by Ethiopians themselves, with only about 3.5 million bags exported to various parts of the world.

Yirgacheffe is the core of Ethiopia, the birthplace of Arabica, and a coffee-producing region that those who love or want to experience specialty coffee must deeply understand and appreciate. Yirgacheffe is also a vast producing region, containing numerous coffee estates and cooperatives of various sizes, with coffee beans from different areas having subtle flavor differences. On FrontStreet Coffee's bean list, nearly half of the coffee beans come from the Yirgacheffe producing region. Red Cherry Project, Gedeb Cooperative, Woke Cooperative, Kochere, Konga Cooperative, and more. Multiple Yirgacheffe beans, available in both washed and natural processing methods, offer friends diverse and interesting experiences.

Yirgacheffe coffee beans, known for their numerous ancient varieties, actually contain many coffee bean varieties of different sizes, representing varying moisture content and composition. To highlight Yirgacheffe beans' "aromatic, sweet, and beautiful fruit acidity," every moment tests the roaster's skill.

Arabica Coffee Bean Varieties

Arabica is the earliest discovered coffee variety, considered the best quality among coffee bean varieties, and currently the world's main coffee bean variety, produced in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and other regions. Arabica typically grows between 2.5 to 4.5 meters, tolerates low temperatures but cannot withstand frost, has weak drought resistance, larger particles, clean flavor, mellow taste, and low caffeine content. Arabica also has many subspecies, all derived from Ethiopia's most ancient Typica and Yemen's Bourbon transplanted to Central and South America or Asia and then mutated, with numerous varieties.

The specialty coffee referred to in the third wave specialty coffee trend includes four evaluation aspects: variety, altitude, processing method, and cupping score. Among these, coffee bean varieties are mainly Arabica.

Ethiopia's coffee has spread worldwide, with regions like Sidamo and Yirgacheffe each having distinctive flavors and characteristics. Yirgacheffe and Sidamo both belong to Ethiopia's producing regions, while Yirgacheffe is a small town under Sidamo province. Sidamo has an altitude of 2,100 meters, while Yirgacheffe exceeds 2,600 meters. As coffee growing altitude increases, amino acids and other aromatic compounds in coffee increase with rising altitude and lower average temperatures. Therefore, coffee beans produced in high mountain areas typically have rich aromas and mellow flavors. Yirgacheffe coffee is one of the most distinctive coffees in the world, an outstanding representative of African washed coffee, and has always enjoyed a prestigious reputation among global coffee connoisseurs.

Most Ethiopian coffee is named after its producing region, such as: Yirgacheffe Red Cherry from the Yirgacheffe region, Yirgacheffe Kochere, and of course, coffee from Yirgacheffe's main producing area is simply labeled Yirgacheffe. The Yirgacheffe region is located in Ethiopia's Sidamo province, a plateau area at 2,000 meters altitude, one of the world's highest altitude coffee-producing regions, and synonymous with Ethiopian specialty coffee. Yirgacheffe's average temperature is 18.4°C, with year-round cool and foggy weather, spring-like seasons, and terrain environment and unique cultivation systems providing optimal conditions for specialty coffee bean cultivation.

Yirgacheffe Coffee Bean Processing Methods

Yirgacheffe originally used the most ancient natural processing method, but in 1972, Ethiopia introduced Central and South American washing technology to improve quality, making Yirgacheffe's jasmine fragrance and citrus aroma clearer and more refined, elevating it to become an absolute gem among world specialty beans. The exquisite washing technology was indispensable—since the 1970s, washing has been the primary method, such as: washed Yirgacheffe coffee. However, in recent years, Yirgacheffe has defied expectations by frequently introducing stunning natural beans!

Natural Yirgacheffe has strict standards for collecting red fruits (coffee tree fruits). Before exposing coffee cherries to the sun, unripe green cherries or defective cherries are first manually removed. During the sun-drying process, damaged or moldy cherries are removed again. After two weeks, fruit pulp sugar and essence fully penetrate the coffee beans, moisture content drops to 12%, then the hardened fruit pulp, mucilage layer, and parchment are all scraped off with a hulling machine. The extracted coffee beans must undergo density and bean color testing. After eliminating defective beans, workers finally manually remove any missed defective beans, with layer-by-layer screening creating the clean and refined quality of Yirgacheffe natural beans. For example: Yirgacheffe Red Cherry coffee.

"Red Cherry Project"

Of course, Yirgacheffe also has specialty-grade natural coffee beans. The Red Cherry coffee beans on FrontStreet Coffee's list are selected from naturally processed Yirgacheffe.

To improve the income of local Ethiopian farmers and coffee quality, Dutch trading company Trabocca BV launched the "Operation Cherry Red Project" in 2007, mainly targeting high-altitude producing areas like Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe to improve washing, semi-washing, and natural processing technologies. Professional cuppers joined the project, and during harvest seasons, different coffee harvest volumes are set for different microclimate zones, requiring only 100% mature red coffee cherries to be harvested, with production around 1500-3000KG. The economic loan support, new hardware equipment, and production knowledge and technology provided by Trabocca have greatly improved the quality of coffee beans in the Yirgacheffe region and even the entire country of Ethiopia. Correspondingly, coffee commands higher prices, thereby increasing farmers' income.

The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU) was established in June 2002 and currently has 28 main cooperative members, 44 coffee processing facilities, and a total of 45,094 farmers. According to FrontStreet Coffee's investigation in the Yirgacheffe region, coffee is the main source of income and lifestyle. However, many farmers lack the tools, training, and bargaining power needed to build profitable businesses. As prices decline, making a living from coffee becomes increasingly difficult, and accessing international markets is challenging for small farmers. YCFCU was born from the hope that through better organization and establishing new market connections in the specialty coffee sector, farmers could continue operating their businesses and gain economic empowerment.

FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Brewing Parameters:

V60 dripper, water temperature 90°C, water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, coffee amount 15g, grind size (80% pass-through rate on China #20 standard sieve)

Using segmented extraction, bloom with 2 times the coffee weight in water—that is, 30 grams of water for 30 seconds. The blooming process is necessary to allow the coffee grounds to release internal carbon dioxide gas, thereby making the subsequent extraction more stable. With small water flow, pour in circles until 125 grams, then continue pouring until 225 grams and stop. Wait until the water in the dripper finishes dripping, then remove the dripper. Time from the start of pouring is 2'00". Next, pick up the entire cup of coffee and shake it well, then pour into cups for tasting.

[Washed Yirgacheffe Coffee Flavor] The acidity will be brighter and more lively, with lemon acidity, citrus fragrance, refreshing taste, and some black tea sensation in the finish.

[Natural Red Cherry Coffee Flavor] Berries, lemon, strawberry, fermented wine aroma.

FrontStreet Coffee Brewing Suggestions:

Regardless of what type of coffee you make, the freshness of coffee beans is very important. FrontStreet Coffee has always believed that coffee bean freshness is greatly related to coffee flavor, so FrontStreet Coffee ships coffee beans roasted within 5 days. FrontStreet Coffee's roasting philosophy is "freshly roasted good coffee," ensuring that every customer who places an order receives the freshest coffee when it arrives. The coffee resting period is about 4-7 days, so when customers receive their coffee, it's at peak flavor.

For friends who need ground coffee, FrontStreet Coffee gently reminds you: if coffee beans are ground in advance, there's no need for a resting period, because during transportation, the pressure from carbon dioxide in the packaging also helps round out the coffee flavor, so you can brew a cup immediately upon receiving the ground coffee. However, ground coffee needs to be brewed promptly, because coffee powder oxidizes relatively quickly when exposed to air, meaning the coffee's flavor will dissipate more quickly, and the coffee flavor won't be as good. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends purchasing whole beans and grinding fresh before brewing to better appreciate the coffee's flavor.

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