Over the past few weeks we’ve been anxiously waiting around the Safari Cup for the new batch of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe to arrive. Late last week it arrived. The King of Coffee’s has returned. And the wait was well worth it.

It’s another incredible batch of Ethiopia’s finest coffee. Not to deter from the other great coffee’s flourishing in East Africa, but Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a lighter roast containing an abundance of flavor – its lemony taste & bright acidity that combines well with a rich, floral aroma. We’re talking Java heaven here.

I thought it may be a good idea to learn something about the country where Yirgacheffe comes from & something about this incredibly important industry to Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is found in area known as the horn of Africa. Generally mountainous, this country is about twice the size of Texas. It has a population of around 66 million. Half the males above the age of 15 are illiterate, 65% of females above 15 are illiterate. Unlike many other African, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being the Italian occupation of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state.

Coffee in Ethiopia is grown using three very distinctive methods - the forest system, the small farm or cottage system and the plantation system. The forest system means coffee grows under a forest canopy and needs very little human interference. The small farm or cottage system is the most popular method for producing coffee in Ethiopia - in fact this method is responsible for 95% of all coffee production. The cottage system consists of small backyard gardens with a few coffee trees, which are harvested by hand.
There are presently some 700,000 coffee smallholders who produce coffee in this way. There are more than 400 coffee-washing plants throughout the country, owned by cooperatives, former state enterprises and private companies. At full capacity, these plants can produce about 52,000 tons of washed coffee per year.
Aroma and flavor are among the unique characteristics of Ethiopian coffee. Ecological factors play an important role in the coffee production. Each area of Yirgacheffe is one of the best highland-grown coffees, grown at altitudes of between 1,770 and 2,000 meters above sea level.

Next week Tanzania Peabody & a little on the country itself.