ETHIOPIAN COFFEE GUIDE: BUYING AND BREWING TIPS

Ethiopia is a revered coffee origin and the birthplace of Arabica coffee. Ethiopian coffee beans are among the best in the world – a must-try for any serious coffee enthusiast.

Today, I’ll explore this coffee-growing country further to discover what makes it special. I’ll examine Ethiopia’s rich coffee history, current coffee production, and the best growing regions and flavor profiles. I’ll also offer some handy tips for brewing or roasting Ethiopian coffee at home.

Get ready to become an expert in coffee from Ethiopia!

The History of Ethiopian Coffee

Ancient Ethiopian history claims that an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi first discovered the coffee plant around 850 AD. According to legend, he noticed his goats eating the coffee fruit off the trees and dancing wildly. He was so fascinated by these “magic” beans that he brought them home.

When Kaldi presented their benefits to a monk, he threw the beans in the fire, proclaiming this magic effect was the work of the devil. The beans began to roast, filling the room with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee.

The original name for coffee, Kaffa, comes from the region in southwest Ethiopia where coffee was discovered. Unlike almost every other coffee-growing country, coffee trees grow wild here.

Ethiopian Coffee Growing Regions

Until 1995, Ethiopia was divided into provinces (1). The country is now divided into districts, but the older province names are still commonly used when discussing coffee regions. 

Sidamo

Many coffee-growing areas are located in the southernmost province, Sidamo (or Sidama), which is where Ethiopian Sidamo coffee beans are grown. Coffee is farmed on a high plateau above 1500 m, and the beans are given the coveted Strictly High Grown designation. 

Most Sidamo beans are wet-processed. Coffee from the region is known for its full body, bright acidity, and floral and citrus flavor notes. 

Yirgacheffe

Yirgacheffe is a small coffee region surrounding the town of Yirgacheffe. Though it lies in the Sidamo province, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee is a trademarked micro-region, thanks to the quality of coffee grown here.

Yirgacheffe produces mainly washed process coffee. It has a medium body and delivers complex floral flavors, vibrant acidity, a bold aroma, and a pleasant lingering aftertaste. 

Guji

Guji is another fantastic subregion of Sidamo. Located in the south of the province, many of the best roasters in the world favor Guji coffee. 

You can expect sweet floral notes in the cup, such as jasmine with melon and peach, and a tea-like body.

Harrar

We’re finally departing Sidamo and headed to eastern Ethiopia to the region of Harrar (or Harar), located near the capital city of Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Harrar coffees are almost exclusively dry-processed. These coffees are winey, contain wild fruit character, and have a syrupy body.

Lesser-Known Regions

The regions just discussed are the big four that you’re most likely to encounter at your local coffee shop, but Ethiopia’s favorable cultivation conditions mean coffee is grown widely in the country. 

In the southwestern region of Kaffa, coffee isn’t farmed but grows wild in the forests, so Kaffa coffee is called a “forest coffee.” Nearby Limu produces lower-elevation coffee between 1100 and 1900 meters above sea level. Limu coffee has a muted acidity and a unique sweet-and-spicy flavor profile. Jimma (also spelled Djimmah) is a large-volume coffee producer that doesn’t match the gourmet quality of the big four. Jimma coffee is usually fruity, clean, and balanced, with a slight citric tang.

What Makes Ethiopian Beans So Special?

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. The environment is naturally perfect for producing amazing coffee; coffee trees have grown in the wild here for centuries. 

The high altitudes of the southern mountainous region provide excellent growing conditions for denser and more flavorful green coffee. The soil is deep, and the vegetation is lush, allowing coffee to be cultivated without agricultural chemicals in the shade and among other plants (2).

Ethiopia Coffee Types

In early coffee history, the first coffee seedlings were exported from Ethiopia to Yemen before being planted worldwide – starting in Latin America and followed by Bourbon Island, off the coast of Africa.

The Latin American plantations give us the modern Typica variety. The Bourbon Island plants mutated far enough from the original to warrant a new name, the Bourbon variety.

Many coffees in Ethiopia today aren’t labeled with a specific variety; instead, they’re designated Ethiopian Heirloom. We use this catch-all term because there are thousands of unique coffea arabica varietals in Ethiopia, many of which don’t even have names. 

What To Expect From The Best Ethiopian Coffee Beans

Ethiopian single-origin coffee offers a range of flavors, but it is best known for brightly acidic fruit and floral notes with a fragrant aroma. These coffees typically have a higher acidity, light to medium body, and complex flavor notes.

The best Ethiopian coffee beans are washed or naturally processed (3). The way the coffee cherries are processed substantially impacts the final taste of the coffee. 

• Wet-processed coffee beans are characterized by their flavor clarity, showcasing bright, complex notes. The final cup is very clean tasting. 
• Naturally processed Ethiopian coffees are sweeter and infused more heavily with fruit flavors. They often have blueberry notes, deep chocolate undertones, and a syrupy body.

Most premium coffee beans from Ethiopia are processed naturally and left in the sun to dry. This is how they’ve done it for centuries, and it hasn’t changed much over time. Using wet processing, on the other hand, is fairly new and is always changing as new equipment enters the scene.

How Large Is Coffee Production In Ethiopia Today?

Ethiopia is the leading coffee producer in Africa and the 5th-largest producer of coffee in the world. Ethiopians consume about half of their country’s coffee, exporting only 3.5 million bags out of the 6.5 million produced.

Ethiopian coffee today is mainly produced by small farmers. Farmers sell their coffee to exporters and brokers through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX), which the government established in 2008 to standardize the procedure (4).

Once brought to the ECX, coffees from similar regions are mixed and sold. One problem with this coffee market is that because crops are averaged together, it’s difficult to trace coffees back to specific farms, which is important to specialty coffee roasters.

As of March 2017, new policies allow farmers to keep coffees separate before auction and allow for purchase directly through individual washing stations. This enables companies to seek out better coffee and establish long-term relationships with producers. This transparency also encourages farmers to invest in their methods and produce better beans.

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Ethiopia has a rich coffee culture, and Ethiopians spend hours each day drinking coffee. The coffee ceremony is the country’s most important social connection, and being invited is a sign of respect and friendship.

Each ceremony lasts two to three hours, and it’s common for families to enjoy two or three per day (5). 

Incense is burned to start the ceremony. Coffee is roasted fresh in a pan, ground by hand using a tool similar to a mortar and pestle, and steeped gently in a traditional piece of pottery over an open fire. The coffee is poured slowly to avoid pouring grounds along with the coffee.

Many take their coffee with a spoonful of sugar, but never with milk. More water is added to the pot and reboiled twice, getting weaker with each brew. Though they may not taste as good, the second and third servings are just as important as the first.

Watch this video to see the coffee ceremony in action.

How To Brew Ethiopian Coffee

Ethiopia produces high-quality coffee, which tastes amazing no matter how you make it. Here are some of my top tips for getting the most from your Ethiopian beans.

Automatic Drip

Coffee from Ethiopia tends to be light in body and brighter in acidity, so it is best showcased using a paper filter brewing method. It shares similarities with coffee grown in Tanzania and other African coffee.  

Using an automatic dripper produces a great cup, as long as the coffee is freshly ground. The paper filter produces a crisp and clean coffee that highlights the complexity of the flavors. 

Pour Over

A well-made pour over produces even better results than a drip machine. It allows for more control in the brewing process and slows down the extraction to pull the unique flavors and characteristics from the coffee.

Do you prefer washed Ethiopian beans? I recommend a Chemex because their thick paper filters yield a cup of coffee with a tea-like body and clean, bright flavor notes. How about naturals? Try a V60 with a thinner paper filter to showcase the syrupy body and bright, acidic fruit notes. The Hario V60, when used with a medium-coarse grind, focuses on the fruity, bright acidity and prevents over-extraction of any bitter elements.

Cold Brew

Due to their fruited and floral notes, Ethiopian beans also make for a wonderful, refreshing cold brew or iced coffee. Smooth with notes of blueberry or peach? Yes, please. Make sure to grind coarsely to avoid over-extraction.

If you like your cold coffee with a little more zing, you can also prepare Ethiopian as an iced pour-over. Brewing coffee hot over ice extracts more of the acidity.

How To Roast Ethiopian Beans

The ideal roast for beans from Ethiopia is a classic medium roast. This yields the best balance between bright acidity, sweet flavors, and a medium body. Roasting darker risks covering up many of the flavors that make Ethiopians great. 

Many roasters today prefer to roast the coffee beans very lightly, which results in a tea-like body. Their goal is to showcase the unique characteristics of the origin by highlighting flavor clarity and complexity.

Avoid blending Ethiopian coffee with other origins if you want to enjoy the region’s distinct flavor profiles. However, Ethiopian beans are a popular addition to espresso blends to add brightness and more fruit flavors.

Bunawoni Yidesetu (Enjoy Your Coffee)

It’s clear why coffee from Ethiopia is so beloved by coffee lovers. It’s just that good. The region produces some of the most unique coffee beans in the world, and it’s where coffee was born.

Now you know a little bit about the history of coffee, Ethiopia’s coffee industry, and what makes these beans unique. It’s time to put all that knowledge to work and enjoy some amazing coffee!