Ethiopia

Flag of Ethiopia

Flag of Ethiopia

Country Profile

Size1,104,300 km2
Capital CityAddis Ababa
Population102,403,196
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Coffee Profile

Harvest
  • November - February
Processing
Varieties

Heirloom, Gesha, Kudhome

Regions
Grading

Graded by defects and cup quality:

  • Grade 1 or 2 - Specialty grades
  • Grade 3 to 9 - Commercial grades

Example: Sidama C Gr. 3

  • Sidama - Sidama Region
  • C - Sub-region C
  • Gr. 3 - Grade 3

All coffees are also divided into 4 large groups:

  • Commercial Washed
  • Commercial Unwashed
  • Specialty Washed
  • Specialty Unwashed

Story

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia holds a truly regal position among the coffee growing countries.

Unlike other origins which only cultivate a few varieties of coffee introduced as cash crop, coffee is native to Ethiopia and are so genetically diverse that calling it a “single-origin” coffee is actually quite misleading.

The Legend of Kaldi and His Goats

How coffee started in Ethiopia is shrouded in myth and legend. One of the most popular legend is that of the goat herder, Kaldi.

Kaldi and his goats

Kaldi and his goats

It was said that Kaldi was herding his goats through the highlands near a monastery when he noticed that they were bleating loudly and dancing on their hind legs.

He found that the source of the excitement was a small shrub with bright red berries, and he tried them for himself out of curiosity.

Coffee berries

Ripe coffee berries

Like his goats, Kaldi felt the energizing effects