Coffee

Ethiopian Coffee
Most of us have coffee every day of our adult lives and we think very little about it. Sure, sometimes when we want to splurge, we might order one of those fancy coffees, but for most of the time, coffee is just coffee.

For a special change, you ought to try coffee from the country where coffee was ‘invented’; Ethiopia. Ethiopian coffee is some of the most special on the planet and most people know nothing about it.

It is said that coffee was first used in Ethiopia around 850 AD when a goat herder saw his flocks eating the bright red berries. He tried it and thought he had found something very special. He took the beans to a local monastery where one of the monks thought that they might be harmful. The monk threw the beans into the fire and the rest is history. The smell of the roasting beans attracted attention and we have the beginnings of our daily coffee.

Ethiopian coffee comes in a variety of types. The traditional Arabica beans are part of the coffee blends. The difference in the taste of Ethiopian coffee comes from the areas where it is grown and in the processing. Processing also varies from region to region. Some Ethiopian coffee beans are dry-processed; others are washed. Beans from washed Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Limmu have a less woody, earthy taste and have a lighter body.

Unlike in many coffee producing countries, the Arabica beans that are used in Ethiopian coffee are indigenous to the region. This coffee was not brought from somewhere else just to start a business. They have been growing in Ethiopia since time immemorial.

The top grade Ethiopian washed coffees are Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. These coffees are prized by coffee connoisseurs but are easily available through the importers that you might find on the internet. For those that are interested, you can also find Ethiopian coffee that has been organically grown.

It is a good idea to buy your Ethiopian coffee from a reputable company that has a lot of experience in coffees from the region. Quality can vary not only from year to year, but also from place to place. There are strict grading standards for Ethiopian coffee depending on the quality and processing of the beans. For the best coffee, make sure that your supplier provides Grade 1 beans.

In many ways, Ethiopian coffee is unique; not having the acidity of the coffee found in neighboring Kenya and it is rarely too strong or pungent.