Ethiopian Coffee Known as the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is well known for some of the best variants of coffee beans. In other words, it can be said that Ethiopia produces some of the best variants of single- origin coffee beans. This blog aims to dig deeper to find out the things that make the offerings of this coffee-growing country so special.
Ethiopia is considered the natural home of coffee. For centuries, here coffee plants are cultivated in the wild. High elevations in the southern mountainous region are one of the main reasons for the perfect growing conditions. Besides, the environment of this country is also perfect for growing the best quality coffee beans without the requirement of adding anything to them. You will be amazed to know that almost a thousand types of coffee variants are cultivated in Ethiopia.
The soil of Ethiopia is deep and the vegetation is lush. As a result, the majority of the coffee variants here are cultivated without using agricultural chemicals among other plants, and in the shade. On the contrary, coffee farmers in other parts of the world need to plant the coffee plants and then create the ideal conditions like planting additional trees for offering shade to the small coffee plants.
How large is the Ethiopian coffee production now?
Ethiopia is the 5th largest coffee-producing nation in the world and it is also the highest coffee- producing nation in Africa. According to reports, Ethiopians consume around half of their total produced coffee. And they export around 3.5 million authentic Ethiopian coffee bags to other parts of the world. In Ethiopia, there is a strong cultural tradition where coffee ceremonies are used for opening events.
The majority of the coffees produced in Ethiopia are produced by the smaller farmers, who sell them through Ethiopia Commodity Exchange or ECX. Once the coffees are brought to ECX, the coffees from similar regions are mixed before selling. But the only problem with the policy of ECX is that it makes it tough to trace back coffees to specific farms. But then some new policieswere formed. According to which the farmers were allowed to keep their coffees separate before taking part in the auction. Besides, commodity exchange started purchasing coffees directly through specific washing stations. It allowed the companies to get better coffee and build relationships for future purchasing of coffee.
These transparent rules also encouraged the farmers to invest in the methods for better production of coffees. According to the new rules, coffees are sold without being blended with other beans, this will only yield rates for how good the coffee is. This means, that the better the coffee tastes, the higher rates the beans would fetch.
What can you expect from authentic Ethiopian coffees?
If you prefer trying coffees from different parts of the world, you must be able to figure out the differences in flavor. And you must be wondering what you would experience when you will try the Ethiopian beans. The flavor characteristics you will get when enjoying these beans are mainly bright fruited and floral. Besides, you will always expect a medium to light body with a higher acidity level when compared to other variants of coffee. Ethiopian coffee variants are often preferred for their pleasant acidity level and wine-like brilliance. Being highly versatile, these beans also taste great at most roast levels.
What makes Ethiopian coffee beans better than the rest?
People often wonder what makes Ethiopian coffee beans better than other types of coffee. The first reason would be the growing condition in this country. The environment of this country is perfect for cultivating delightful coffees without the need of adding anything. Besides, the high elevation of this country also allows for the best growing conditions to cultivate some amazing variants of coffee.
The next specialty is the processing of the beans. And the used processing method has an immense effect on the final taste of the coffee. In Ethiopia, the beans are either naturally processed or washed. The majority of the beans in Ethiopia are naturally processed. This process has been followed for centuries and it has not changed much to date. Naturally processed beans are dried while keeping the fruit intact on the bean. Here the fruit pulp is not removed from the beans until the beans are exported.
This thing results in a high-quality coffee. On the other hand, wet processing is a comparatively new process and it keeps on changing depending on the use of new equipment on the scene. In this process, the beans are washed or wet-processed. And during that process, the fruit is mechanically removed right away. As a result, the beans passed through wet processing are characterized by their flavor clarity. They always showcase complex, bright notes. And the final cup is always very clean tasting.
