Organically Grown, Heirloom Beans from Ethiopia
- Country: Ethiopia
- Region: Chelchele, Kochere, Yirgacheffe
- Farm: Various smallholder farmers
- Variety: Heirloom varieties
- Altitude: 1800 masl
- Processing Method: Natural (Organic)
This coffee comes from the Chelchele washing station, which is in the kebele, (village) of Chelchele, situated in the Kochere district of the Yirgacheffe region.
Chelchele coffees tend to have a sweet core flavour of toffee, caramel and/or soft nuts like almond, with floral and citrus overtones.
Coffees in Ethiopia are typically grown on very small plots of land by farmers who also grow other crops.
The majority of smallholders will deliver their coffee in cherry form to a nearby washing station or central processing unit, where their coffee will be sorted, weighed, and paid for or given a receipt.
This coffee is unusual, smooth & tangy, exhibiting flavours which are:
Very floral with berry, lime, caramel, chocolate - sugary flavors, juicy, sweet, tart and smooth.
Ethiopia
'The Birthplace of Arabica Coffee'
Among coffee-producing countries Ethiopia holds near legendary status, not only because it’s the “birthplace” of Arabica coffee, but also because it’s simply unlike any other place in the coffee world.
The vast majority of coffee growing countries had the plant introduced as a cash crop through colonization. Whilst in Ethiopia growing, processing & drinking coffee has been part of everyday life for centuries, since the trees were discovered growing wild in forests & eventually cultivated.
The majority of Ethiopia’s farmers are smallholders & subsistence farmers, with less than 1 hectare of land apiece. In many cases it is almost more accurate to describe the harvests as a “garden coffee,” as the trees do sometimes grow in more of a garden or forest environment, rather than what we imagine a farm to look like.
There are some large, privately owned estates & co-operative societies comprising a mix of small & more mid-size farms, but the average producer here grows relatively very little for commercial sale.
“Garden coffee” is brought by a farmer, in cherry form, to the closest or most convenient washing station, where it is sold & blended with other farmers’ lots for processing according to the desires of that washing station.
Co-op members bring their coffee cherries to be received & weighed at a co-operative washing station. There is more trace-ability back to the producer as they are registered members of the co-operative.
The flavour profile of Ethiopian coffees will vary based on a number of factors including variety, process & micro-region.
As a general rule of thumb natural processed coffees will have much more pronounced fruit & deep chocolate tones, often with a bit of a 'winey' characteristic & a syrupy body.
Washed coffees will be lighter & have more pronounced acidity, although the individual characteristics will vary.
The genetic diversity of Ethiopian coffee is unmatched globally.
This gives rise to beautiful & complex flavour profiles.
No other coffees are spoken of with more reverence, or romance.
More.....
In Ethiopia coffee is commonly enjoyed as part of a “ceremonial” preparation; a way of gathering around a table for conversation & community.
The most senior-woman of the household roasts the coffee in a pan & grinds it fresh, before mixing it with hot water in a brewing pot called a Jebena.
She serves the strong liquid in small cups, then adds fresh boiling water to brew the coffee two more times.
The process takes about an hour from start to finish & is considered to be a show of hospitality & society.
Growing Regions - Sidama (including Yirgacheffe), Harrar, Limu, Djimma, Lekempti, Wallega, Gimbi
Common Varieties - Heirloom Ethiopian varieties including Kudhome, Gesha, Djimma, and others
Processing Method/s - Washed, Natural
Population Involved in Coffee - Approx. 700,000
Average Farm Size - 1 hectare or less
Bags Exported Annually - 3.5 million bags