Ethiopian Coffee profile

Ethiopian coffee is known for being bright and citrusy with high acidity. It’s light-to-medium-bodied and offers a complex-yet-delicate tasting experience.

Ethiopian coffee beans are processed using both the wet/washed and dry/ natural methods, and each imparts different flavors on the final roast. Few countries showcase the wide range of other flavors that Ethiopian coffee does, which is a testament to our coffee culture.

What are the most famous producing regions?

These unique beans have become so admired around the world.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Coffee

  • Processing Types: Natural, washed
  • Growing Altitude: 5,900-6,250 feet (1,800-1,900 meters)
  • Harvest: October-January
  • Availability: January-December

This variety is harvested from the higher elevations of Ethiopia’s Sidama region near YirgaChefe. Ethiopia Yirgachefe is typically wet-processed, meaning that it’s mostly washed. Yirgachefe variety is primarily considered to be the pinnacle coffee crop of Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Sidama Coffee

  • Processing Types: Natural, washed
  • Growing Altitude: 4,900-7,225 feet (1,500-2,200 meters)
  • Harvest: October-January
  • Availability: January-December

The revered Sidama region is located in Ethiopia’s central highlands. This area is most likely where coffee originated. This bean is also wet-processed and dry-processed. At these elevations, the growth rate slows, allowing the coffee to absorb more nutrients, creating a more robust and bright palate.

 Ethiopian Limu Coffee

  • Processing Types: Washed
  • Growing Altitude: 3,600-6,225 feet (1,100-1,900 meters)
  • Harvest: October-January
  • Availability: January-December

The Limu region is west of the capital, located centrally in Ethiopia. This variety is also a wet-processed coffee and tends to be sharper than other Ethiopian coffees, which some people strongly favor.

HOW is ETHIOPIAN COFFEE BEANS PROCESSED? 

It is processed either by washing or drying methods.  

WET PROCESSING 

In this method, the cherries are placed in water for sorting, and the dense cherries float while the denser ones sink. Eco pulpers are then used to remove the skin to get the parchment. After this, the mucilage is removed by keeping the parchment coffee in a fermentation tank for days. 

Once the fermentation is over, the coffee is placed in a soaking tank for 12 hours and then put on patios or a raised drying bed to dry for two or more. Then, they sort through the dried coffee, remove the damaged ones, and send the good ones to a warehouse for dry processing. Lastly, they are packaged and ready to sell.

SUN DRYING 

Here, the cherries are sorted by hand to remove the ripe, quality ones. Then they are placed on patios or raised drying beds made of wood (covered in nylon netting or burlap) and placed under the sun for weeks to dry. After this, they are milled to remove the husk and ready for sale.

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