The best varieties of Ethiopian coffee

Tamara
Professional coffee lover

The homeland of coffee is Ethiopia. It is here that the best varieties of Arabica are produced. Up to 2,400 tons of coffee beans are harvested annually in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia's finest coffees

Moreover, 40% of the crop is harvested from plantations, and the bulk of Ethiopia's coffee grows in the wild, pristine form, forming dense forests.

Ethiopia Mokko Sidamo

Experts refer to the world's best coffee varieties as Ethiopia Mokko Sidamo.

The place of its growth is the mountain plateaus of southern Ethiopia. It is wet processed. This type of coffee has a delicate wine taste with hints of fruit interspersed. Variety of coffee - Ethiopia Mokko Sidamo has a pronounced, delicate aroma, after which a long aftertaste remains. This coffee is classified as a soft coffee.

Ethiopia Xapap Longberry (Ethiopian Mocha)

The next no less famous type of coffee is Ethiopia Xapap Longberry (Ethiopian Mocha). Arabica from eastern Ethiopia. The collection of coffee beans is done manually. It grows in the mountainous surroundings of the city of Harar, at an altitude of 2-5 thousand meters above sea level. This variety is cultivated by local farmers on small plantations or in the wild rainforest. Mocha coffee from Ethiopia has:

• pleasant fortress,
• balanced acidity,
• has a rich chocolate flavor.

Ethiopia Irgochif

But the best of the Ethiopian varieties of Arabica is considered to be the type of coffee - Ethiopia Irgochif. It belongs to mild coffee varieties and has a wine aromatic taste.

Heat - rainy season - heat - for some such conditions of existence will seem unacceptable, but not for Ethiopian coffee ("Kaffa Bun"). Born according to God's plan on this African land, it became the starting point for the popularization of coffee berries around the world. And if at first they were simply chewed, trying to achieve an invigorating effect, then later the harvested crop was cleaned, grinded and became the basis for the preparation of an amazing taste and aroma of a drink. Step by step, the unique product was ennobled and won the recognition of the inhabitants of the whole planet.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee

For many years, the debate has not abated over what can be considered the fundamental principle of everyone's favorite drink - Brazilian coffee or Ethiopian. In fact, there is no reason to belittle Ethiopia's contribution to the cultivation of the first coffee trees. Yes, today Brazil is the leader in the production and export of coffee products! However, the homeland of coffee was, is and will be Ethiopia.

According to the stories of ancestors, in this country, a local resident of Kaldim, together with his goats, came across miraculous berries. Fascinated by the invigorating effect of Ethiopian coffee beans, he hastened to share his discovery with an Islamic devotee. The latter, due to his religiosity, did not believe the shepherd and advised him to throw the demonic berries into the fire. However, when an enchanting aroma floated around the area, the believer changed his mind and rushed to rake the embers. The coffee beans were collected, poured over with water and, without realizing it, became the forefathers of the popular drink today.

Ethiopian coffee cultivation and production technologies

Coffee plantations are widespread in this African country. However, few people know that 60% of Ethiopia's coffee trees have an uncontrolled type of growth - they belong to the class of wild plants. Occupying about 460,000 hectares of the country's territory, they are often ignored. And all because they are characterized by low yields and the difficulty of picking ripe coffee berries.

On average, for 1 working day, a person engaged in harvesting can put 15 - 20 kg of ripe fruits in his basket. And this is at a density of 10,000 coffee trees per hectare. On controlled plantations, Ethiopia's Arabica coffee density is 3,500 units, as a result of which labor productivity increases.

The specific African climate makes it necessary to plant coffee trees next to banana crops. The latter are assigned the role of fertilizing the soil and protecting coffee from wind and temperature extremes (up to 15 degrees per day). A quarter of the country's population is engaged in harvesting in August - January. At the same time, Ethiopia annually produces 200 - 240 tons of coffee, which in the export share is ⅓ of the total production of this product in the world.

About 90% of Ethiopian coffee is hand-processed dry. Ethiopian coffee production proceeds as follows:

1. On the palm leaves laid out on the ground in several layers, the freshly harvested crop is placed.
2. Left in the open air, it is dried for 15 days. During this time, the workers strictly monitor that moisture does not get on the coffee berries. They periodically mix them and protect them from insects.
3. At the end of drying, when the moisture content in the berry does not exceed 12%, the peeling process takes place - the coffee berries are freed from the shell.
4. Then the raw material is sifted and subjected to manual sorting - workers throw out black and deformed grains, remove unripe fruits.

Ethiopian coffee is digitally marked. So, "2" and "3" - an indicator that you are dealing with varieties that have undergone a washed treatment, "4" and "5" - a class of coffee that has undergone dry processing. However, this marking cannot be considered the ultimate truth. For example, in Irgafiffe, the raw materials marked with the numbers "1" and "2" belong to the upper class, while in Harrar the number "4" speaks of belonging to the upper class. In this case, experts advise focusing more on taste than on the aforementioned labeling, growing area and grain color.

Unfortunately, in recent years, all Ethiopian coffee has been sold under the Ethiopian Mercantile Exchange (ECX) label. Created with the aim of maintaining the price of goods and controlling the quality of exported products, it subtly absorbed the personality of the varieties sold. If earlier it was possible to know everything thoroughly about the purchased product, today it is impossible. However, buyers interested in this information continue to hope for a likely change in the rules for the sale of Ethiopian coffee in the future.

Exclusive Ethiopian coffee beans

Each country has a product that can rightfully be considered a national treasure. If in Spain it is "jamon" - dried pork leg, and in Morocco - oranges, then for the country known throughout the world under the name "Ethiopia" coffee is a national treasure. Ethiopia coffee or a product produced today under this brand is an exclusive coffee raw material exported to different countries. If earlier it was exported from the country uncontrollably, nowadays this process is strictly controlled.

Sorts of Ethiopian coffee, as the fundamental principle of a coffee drink, are distinguished by a great variety. However, it is impossible not to single out the "golden three" of Ethiopia in terms of aroma and taste characteristics, officially patented by the country in 2004:

At the same time, the production of coffee products in Ethiopia is not limited to the above varieties. Also here you can find Babek and Lima, recognizable for their wine taste Lekampt, characterized by dry processing Illubabor and Tepi. You can buy coffee from Ethiopia in our online store.

Ethiopian coffee taste of Arabica

A person who is ignorant of coffee varieties sometimes equals them all on the same scale, evaluating each freshly brewed drink with the formulaic phrase "coffee like coffee". However, real cuptesters and coffee lovers, who know about the variety of coffee raw materials and their growing regions firsthand, can say with confidence that each type of Ethiopian coffee is unique in its own way:

• Jimma - coffee beans with a low percentage of acidity, which, when replaced with a dry treatment, acquire an unpleasant medicinal taste;
• Gimbi is the exact opposite, characterized by a complex aroma-flavor picture and sharp acidity;
• Harrar is the elite of Ethiopian coffee, known for its tartaric acidity and multifaceted taste (blueberry jam, apricots, cardamom, cinnamon, tobacco);
• Lekempti is a delicate coffee variety, loved for its good body and fruity taste;
• Limu - an amazing combination of fruity-floral flavor notes with a spicy aroma;
• Sidamo - a chocolate-wine extravaganza with a complex smell and low acidity;
• Irgachiffe is an exquisite Ethiopian coffee with a toasted coconut flavor and a bright aftertaste.

And these are just the most famous varieties of coffee in Ethiopia, which enjoy worldwide recognition. Needless to say about the lesser-known varieties, which are also uniqueized by the variability of roasting and the addition of original spices!

How is an Ethiopia coffee-style drink prepared?

Not worth it and says that the most grateful coffee audience lives in Ethiopia. Secretly calling this product "our bread" (and it is not surprising, because it accounts for about 25% of the state treasury income), Ethiopians not only carefully grow and produce it, but also drink this invigorating drink with pleasure. By the way, only ½ of the product is exported, while the second (100 thousand tons of coffee beans or 10 kg per person per year) is distributed within the country.

The very preparation of Ethiopian coffee, the taste of which is distinguished by an amazing combination of chocolate, nuts and fruit notes, is akin to a ritual. Thus, the roasting and grinding of coffee beans takes place in the presence of the whole family and guests. The finished coffee powder is immersed in special vessels resembling a jug with a narrow neck and a lid - jaben. The first brew is given to men, the second to women, and the third to children. The guest is "obliged" to drink at least 3 cups of such "coffee". Otherwise, the owners of the house will be insulted to the core.

The whole process of making Ethiopian coffee proceeds as follows:

1. The owners of the house light up fragrant herbs to scare away evil spirits from their guests.
2. Coffee beans are washed with running water and roasted over coals for 5 minutes.
3. The collected aromatic beans are presented to the guest so that he can fully appreciate their magical aroma.
4. Next, the women grind the roasted coffee beans in a mortar.The work is not easy, but a ritual is a ritual!
5. The finished coffee powder is poured into a jaben, filled with water and set to simmer for 5 - 15 minutes.
6. Frankincense is often thrown into the coals while making coffee. A wondrous scent spreading around the area, it makes the aromatic palette of the Ethiopian elixir of cheerfulness original and unique.
7. Once the drink is prepared, it is filtered and poured into small, handleless cups.

The finished coffee is served sweet. Often honey, spices or butter are added to it. Homemade tortillas, peanuts or fried barley can be served as a dessert for such a drink.

How to choose the right Ethiopian coffee varieties?

In modern society, people are used to trusting only a branded product. Often ready to say goodbye to a large amount of money because of him, they believe that they are buying 100% quality goods. However, unlicensed varieties of Arabica can be considered worthy of recognition. For example, such unique species as Volisho, Degas, Sinde, Kubura, Kudume. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Consequently, almost every product released from under her pen will be of high quality.

A similar situation is with the "environmentally friendly" marker. It is scientifically proven that half of the coffee grown in Ethiopia belongs to the forest - free growing category. There is no reason to be concerned about the health safety of such a product.

Heavy roasting of Ethiopian coffee is strongly unacceptable. The refined base for the preparation of an aromatic drink loses its unique taste. A grain color similar to a light shade of caramel is considered normal. Only then will both the gourmet and the newcomer of the coffee world be able to fully experience the unique aroma and taste of the freshly brewed drink.

Often on the packaging of coffee from Ethiopia, you can find the following markings:

• Extra-Sifted - coarse coffee
• Longberry - medium grain
• Shortberry - fine-grained.

Well, as for the price for the product, it cannot be called democratic. On average, African Arabica is sold on the market from 2,000 rubles per kg.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. In the country, most coffee trees grow wild, so Ethiopian coffee is considered organic by default.

But even on plantations, it is prohibited by law to use chemical fertilizers, which guarantees 100% natural naturalness of the product.

It is curious that ordinary Ethiopians pick coffee berries in the forests in the same way as Russians go for raspberries or strawberries, and this activity is quite familiar. Due to the growth of coffee next to various fruit trees, the taste of the finished drink is reminiscent of fruit and leaves a pleasant sweet aftertaste. If you consider yourself a true coffee lover, then you should definitely try Ethiopian coffee. You will definitely like it! But first, let's take a closer look at this unique invigorating drink.

Origin of coffee

By natural design, coffee fruits originated precisely in Ethiopia, becoming the starting point for the distribution of the drink around the globe. It is not known exactly when people first became acquainted with coffee. Historians say that this happened in ancient times. According to the legend, a local shepherd with his flock of sheep accidentally found miraculous berries and tasted them. Feeling a pronounced invigorating effect, he decided to tell the Muslim ascetic about the discovery. But he did not believe the shepherd and threw the "demonic" fruits into the fire. When the pleasant aroma began to spread, the believer changed his mind and began to rake the cooling coals. The coffee beans were taken out, poured with boiling water, thus making the first coffee in history.

The coffee industry is currently the main economic industry in Ethiopia. Work in this area provides livelihoods for more than 15 million people in the country.

About 70% of the profits are brought to the state budget by the export of coffee, so the economy of Ethiopia is highly dependent on the sale of coffee raw materials.

Growing and processing conditions

Ethiopia belongs to the highland states, since half of its territory is located 1.5 km above sea level. The largest plantations are located in the Irgachiff, Limu, Sidamo, Harrar and Jimma regions. Most of the products are produced by small farms. The annual harvest from Ethiopian plantations is over 350 thousand tons.

Ethiopia's humid tropical climate provides optimal conditions for the growth of coffee plants. Harvesting takes place from August to January. Only one type of coffee grows here - arabica... However, a number of its varieties are constantly expanding due to the genetic abundance that has been formed over the centuries. Several regions are home to unique species not found anywhere else in the world.

More than half of coffee trees are "savages", that is, they grow by themselves without human intervention. People only pick berries, the creation of which was taken care of by nature itself. But there are some complications here. Wild Arabica, devoid of care, bears fruit rather poorly, and picking berries in the dense tropical jungle is not an easy task. Few of the workers manage to collect more than 15-20 kg of raw materials per day.

Approximately 40% of coffee fruits are harvested from plantations, which are carefully tended. Due to the instability of the local climate and strong daily temperature drops, trees are protected from gusts of wind and temperature fluctuations. In order to increase productivity, the soil is fertilized with organic and mineral components. And strictly no "chemistry"! Nonetheless, Ethiopian coffee is exported without bio-certificates, because the government of the country has not developed the necessary documentation.

Ethiopia - a poor state, and there is no talk of any modern methods of processing coffee. 90% of raw materials are processed dry. The whole process is done manually.

• The collected berries are spread on palm leaves and left in the sun.

• The grains are expected to ferment and dry for 15 days. At this time, the fruits are regularly mixed for uniform drying and make sure that insects do not get into the raw material.

• When the percentage of water in the grains reaches 12%, they are husked. Moreover, the shell is removed without any effort.

• Then the grains are sifted through a sieve with the required hole diameter and sorted by hand "by eye". Workers harvest unripe, black and broken fruit.

It is clear that no one is able to ideally select coffee beans, therefore, in almost every batch of the product, there is a little waste. But in general, this does not affect the taste of the finished drink. Dry processed coffee is distinguished by its rich taste with pronounced chocolate and fruity notes, as well as an unobtrusive aftertaste of spices.

The remaining 10% of the coffee harvest is processed in a wet way, which requires considerable financial costs and purified running water. Coffee made in this way costs a little more, but it has a purer taste without impurities. Note that in our online store you can buy inexpensive Ethiopian coffee of exquisite varieties, prepared precisely by the wet method.

Ethiopian coffee has its own label. Figures 2 and 3 indicate wet processing, and 4 and 5 indicate dry. But this labeling system is pretty confusing. Thus, a premium product from Irgachif is marked with numbers 1 and 2, first-class coffee from Harrar - 4. For this reason, connoisseurs advise focusing on personal feelings of taste, and not on the numbers on the package.

Varieties - popular and rare

Ethiopia produces a wide variety of coffees. The most famous are irgachif, sidamo and harrar. Let's try to figure out how their individuality and features are manifested.

• Irgachif... This variety is grown in the region of the same name in the central part of the country and traditionally undergoes washed processing, falling into the category of elite coffee. The drink has a pronounced chocolate flavor with an orange aftertaste. The aroma of irgachif coffee is fruity-floral, light and unobtrusive.

• Sidamo. It grows in the south of Ethiopia. It is also wet processed and appreciated by gourmets from all over the world. This variety is characterized by chocolate flavor shades and sourness inherent in classic Arabica, as well as a creamy caramel aftertaste. Sidamo is renowned for its stunning aromas of bergamot, vanilla and tropical fruits.

• Harrar. It grows in the province of the same name in the south of Ethiopia and is processed only by the dry method. The variety is semi-wild, and its grains look unpresentable - they are small and uneven. But this does not affect the taste of the drink, and it is popular all over the world. The combination of moderate acidity, citrus and nutty notes does not leave indifferent both gourmets and simply coffee lovers.

The taste and quality of Ethiopian coffee can vary from year to year and from season to season. In most cases, the raw materials harvested at the beginning of the season have the best characteristics.

In addition to the widespread varieties known throughout the world, there are rarer varieties of Ethiopian coffee that are supplied in limited quantities. So, what are these varieties characterized by?

• Jimma - wine flavor and dense infusion;

• limu - noticeable sourness, rich infusion and aroma of spices;

• lekempti - moderate density and acidity, fruity motifs in the taste;

• bebek and tepi - almost complete absence of acidity, deep and bright taste, high concentration of caffeine.

Despite the variety of Ethiopian coffee varieties, they have common features - they are rich in taste, many flavors, enchanting aroma and long aftertaste. Unlike coffee produced in other countries, coffee beans from Ethiopia are fully organic products, as they are grown on environmentally friendly soils without the addition of chemical feed.

How is coffee made in Ethiopia?

For Ethiopians, coffee is not just an invigorating aromatic drink, but a national pride and a full-fledged ritual. Ethiopians have great respect for coffee and never drink it on the fly without following traditional serving rules.

The ceremony of preparing and drinking coffee takes place in a warm and friendly atmosphere without excessive solemnity. Cooking takes place directly in the presence of guests and family members. The coffee powder is placed in a jaben, a special vessel with a narrow neck. The first brewing is carried out by a man, the second by a woman, and the third by a child. Each guest needs to drink at least three cups of the drink, otherwise the owners of the house will be very offended.

The process of making Ethiopian coffee is carried out in several stages according to the established long-term tradition:

1. the hosts light up fragrant herbs to drive away evil spirits from the guests;

2. coffee beans are thoroughly washed and roasted over coals for five minutes;

3. roasted beans are presented to guests so that they appreciate their enchanting aroma;

4. grinding the grains in a mortar;

5. the resulting powder is immersed in a jaben, water is added and boiled for 10-15 minutes;

6. during cooking, incense is often thrown into the coals in order to create a special atmosphere of the ritual;

7. after the coffee has been brewed, it is filtered and poured into small, handleless cups.

We are not Ethiopians, and, of course, we have a simpler attitude to making coffee. However, you can try the delicious Ethiopian coffee recipe with rose petals and ice cream. The finished drink will be appreciated by all those with a sweet tooth.

So, you need to put the Turk on the fire and put 8-12 tea rose petals in it and a couple of tablespoons of coffee powder to warm it up. Roasting coffee is not allowed! Next, remove the dishes from the burner and, slowly, pour in water in a thin stream. Then return the turk to the stove and after one minute stir the upper layers of the drink. After the coffee comes into contact with the petals, a foam forms. Reduce heat slightly and wait 4-5 minutes. It remains to pour the finished coffee into warmed cups and put creamy ice cream on top. You can sweeten the drink if desired. It is not necessary to filter the boiled rose petals, since they already settle at the bottom.

If you love drinking coffee, then you should definitely try the product from Ethiopia. We offer to buy 100% natural Ethiopian coffee in our online store at a reasonable price. Our range contains only high quality authentic products and we strive to make good coffee available to everyone.

We present to your attention the elite varieties of arabica - irgachif and sidamo, prepared by the wet processing method.

Irgachif Is the most popular mono-variety of Ethiopian coffee. It has a pleasant sourness and rich taste. The drink is great for daily use and gives a full charge of vivacity.

Sidamo has a sweetish taste with pronounced notes of fruit and an enchanting aroma. They are pleased to pamper themselves at their leisure, plunging into the world of African exoticism. Also, cream, ice cream, spices and other additives are perfectly combined with it.

We guarantee the unrivaled quality of Ethiopian coffee in our online shop. We roast the coffee beans delivered from the plantations with our own hands before packing and sending to the buyer.

Would you like to order premium Ethiopian coffees to enjoy rich flavors and great aromas? Call us! We will promptly place an order and deliver it to your home or office in a short time.