Unveiling the secrets of Ethiopia, the "homeland of coffee"

The hometown of coffee

Ethiopia is known as the "homeland of coffee" . Legend has it that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian shepherd named Kaldi, who discovered the coffee tree when his sheep became unusually energetic after eating a bright red berry. Whether this legend is true or not, one thing is certain:

Coffee can be traced back to Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, coffee production is both a labor of love and an important source of income. In addition to being the world's sixth-largest coffee producer, Ethiopia reportedly directly and indirectly employed 20% of its 100 million people in 2018. In 2017, the country produced about 470,000 tons of green coffee beans, of which about 160,000 tons were exported. This means that Ethiopia exports less than half of its coffee production, consuming the rest domestically.

Coffee has been part of the fabric of Ethiopian society for centuries. A common phrase used to greet people is "buna tetu," which means "drink coffee," and one of the most famous Ethiopian proverbs is that coffee is our bread .

Ethiopian coffee production

Ethiopia's geographical environment is very suitable for coffee growth. Coffee is mainly grown in the southern highlands between 1,100 and 2,300 meters above sea level. Ethiopian coffee is harvested once a year, with red coffee berries ripening and ready to be picked from September to December. The new season of coffee begins to be exported from November to December.

At present, Ethiopia still uses traditional planting methods: artificial care of coffee trees, and has always followed the principle of not using harmful pesticides and herbicides, instead, organic fertilizers (fertilizers are mainly fallen leaves, dead grass and animal feces, etc.). It has the reputation of being the only pollution-free green organic coffee in the world.

Due to different planting methods, coffee can be divided into three types: forest or semi-forest coffee, garden coffee and plantation coffee.

60% of coffee is forest-semi-forest coffee: in such wild coffee forests, pesticides are not used, but biological methods are used to control pests.

35% of coffee is garden coffee: coffee is planted in a three-dimensional pattern, with coffee located at the bottom, shaded by other crops to create a suitable growing environment. Fertilizers are mainly fallen leaves, dead grass and animal manure.

5% of coffee is plantation coffee: this is a modern method of cultivation, where coffee is also grown in forests, but using new varieties and planted in rows with other shade trees.

Due to different processing methods, coffee can be divided into two types: washed coffee and sun-dried coffee.

Washed coffee: freshly picked fully ripe coffee beans are used for processing. The picking is very careful and under the close supervision of professionals. The clean coffee beans that have been picked must be depulped on the day of picking, then fermented, washed, dried, and peeled. The humidity of the processed coffee beans is kept at about 12%.

Sun-dried coffee: mainly picked by families, the red coffee beans are placed on cement floors or high tables to dry to about 11.5% humidity, then peeled and washed.

The natural characteristics of coffee beans include size, shape, acidity, texture, taste and aroma. Ethiopian coffee beans are small, fragrant, and have a wine-like acidity, which is deeply loved by coffee lovers.

Ethiopia's famous coffee producing regions

Sidamo

Altitude: 1400-2200 meters

Harvest period: October to January of the following year

Variety: Native variety

Located on the fertile highlands of the East African Rift Valley, Sidamo is one of the three registered trademark coffee producing regions in Ethiopia, with abundant rainfall, suitable temperatures and fertile soil.

About 60% of the coffee beans produced here are washed. Sidamo coffee is known for its rich flavor, mellow body, bright acidity, and floral and citrus flavors. It is very popular among coffee lovers who like fruity and rich aromas. This area also produces some of the highest altitude coffees in Ethiopia.

Yirgacheffe

Altitude: 1750-2200 meters

Harvest period: October to January of the following year

Variety: Native variety

Yirgacheffe is part of the Sidamo region and is subdivided into an independent micro-region due to its special coffee flavor. Most of the coffee produced here is washed and can be described as a bright, medium-bodied coffee. Many washed coffees from Yirgacheffe have explosive aromas, rich citrus and floral aromas, and a light and elegant taste . Without a doubt, this is one of the best coffee producing regions.

Harrar

Altitude: 1500-2100 meters

Harvest period: October to February of the following year

Variety: Native variety

This area, which surrounds the small town of Harar, is one of the oldest coffee producing areas in Ethiopia. The coffee beans from this area have a very unique taste and are usually sun-dried and mostly grown in areas that require additional artificial irrigation.

The region has long maintained a good reputation, even after sun-dried coffee, the taste may make people feel that it is not pure enough, with a wood-like soil flavor, to a distinct blueberry fruit aroma. The taste of coffee in this area is so special that it often impresses coffee practitioners, and many people believe that this is a coffee producing area that opens their eyes to the diversity of flavors in the cup.

Limu

Altitude: 1400-2200 meters

Harvest period: November to January of the following year

Variety: Native variety

The output is relatively small and it is mainly exported to the European and American markets. There are three processing methods: water washing, sun drying and semi-water washing.

Lim is usually a washed coffee with relatively low acidity. The performance of flowers and citrus flavors is also inferior to Yirgacheffe and Sidamo, but it has more grass and brown sugar aromas, and bright fruit acidity. Most producers in this area are small, but there are several large state-owned coffee plantations.

Other related production areas include Guji, which has an average altitude of more than 1,800 meters. Due to its superior geographical location and cup flavor, it was established as an independent production area by ECX (Ethiopian Commodity Exchange) in 2010; Djimmah , which is the largest coffee producing area in Ethiopia, accounting for 1/3 of exports.