Origins - African Coffee

According to legend, the 9th-century goat-herder Kaldi discovered the coffee plant after noticing the energizing effect the plant had on his flock. Kaldi reported his findings to the Abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer.

The caliphate would go on to control coffee trading. By the 14th century, however, the Empire grew tired of trading with Ethiopia for their coffee. Instead, they began cultivating their own coffee with plants smuggled out of Ethiopia to Yemen.

Over the next 200 years, qahwa (coffee in Arabic) became widely cultivated across regions in Yemen, which shared a coastline with the Horn of Africa. This was helped by relatively fertile land, rainfall, and high elevations in the surrounding highlands of Mocha.

Coffee was first exported from Ethiopia in the 1600's and since then it has built a reputation for some truly spectacular and high quality coffee. A lot of this might have been because of the overthrow of Emporer Haile Selassie, which resulted in much of the land being nationalised and private land ownership being outlawed. This had the effect of coffee farming going back to its roots of harvesting from the wild and might be why there is now such a diverse range of coffee on offer.

As the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia also has the most extreme coffee genetic landscape. There’s 99% more genetic material in Ethiopia’s coffee alone than in the entire rest of the world, and most of it hasn’t been formally identified or categorized. We call these mystery plants “heirloom varieties”.

There are 54 countries in Africa, and some of these countries are major coffee growing and coffee-producing areas. Depending on where it is grown and processed, a coffee bean will have very different flavor notes. Depending upon the climate and elevation of the coffee farm, a coffee-producing country can offer a wide scope of unique profiles.

Grading/Sizes E (for Elephant) - the largest coffee beans

AA (screen size 18) - the most common speciality coffee that attracts the highest prices

AB (screen size 15/16) - the most common coffee grade PB (for Peaberry) - usually attracts a higher price, The pea-berry occurs when a mutation is present in the coffee cherry resulting in the usually two halves of the seed being fused into one. It's particularly sought after due to its rarity.

C, which is the lowest grade and should not be present in speciality coffee!

ETHIOPIAN SIDAMO BEANS: These Heirloom Ethiopian Varietals grown in the highlands at elevations of 1500 to 2200 MASL qualifying the coffee as Strictly High Grown (SHG). It is at these high elevations where the best Ethiopian coffees grow more slowly and have more time to absorb nutrients and develop intensely fruity robust flavours. An exotic playful coffee, exploding with fruit nuances of strawberry, stone-fruits, spice, over a chocolate/fudgy body that is smooth and bright, there is a sugary rock candy like sweetness, and the luscious finish has no bitterness. Best at light roast level. An exotic coffee of extraordinary complexity and stunning cup qualities!

The Yirgachaffe is grown at heights ranging up to 6,600 feet above sea level. It has a spicy flavor and is complemented by a tinge of sweetness. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans are known for their sweet flavor and aroma with the right balance of body and acidity. Yirgacheffe beans also carry a spicy note and fragrance and are frequently rated as some of the highest quality Arabica coffees in the world. You will also experience the blueberry note which is unknown to any other coffee in the world.

Harrar is amongst the highest grown of all and one certainly to look out for. Djimmah, where coffee grows wild at over 1,200 metres above sea level is sold at Limu and Babeka. Other coffees originate from Sidamo, which is commonly marketed as Yirgacheffe, and Lekempti.

KENYA AA BEANS: This high-grown coffee is one of our most well-regarded beans and comes from the famed growing region of Nyeria, on the slopes of Mount Kenya. From beautiful coffee plantations of smallholder estates grown at elevations of around 1,500 meters growing in rich red volcanic soil. The leading edge in cup is savory, and grapefruit like, the body is light/medium and satiny in mouthfeel, while impressively round and full, with flavor nuances of chocolate, black currant, blueberry, and citrus. A very pleasant, crisply-sweet and savory cup that should be featured in your coffee repertoire!

TANZANIA PEABERRY BEANS: This Tanzania Peaberry Coffee is grown on the slopes of Mount Killiminjaro in the Mbya region by smallholder farmers that own, on average 500 trees each. Many practice subsistence farming methods and all their coffee is handpicked. A rare high grown African coffee with a smooth buttery body, flavor nuances of Bing cherry, ginger, lime, and fruit cocktail, with a fragrant aroma, lively acidity, and a pleasant dry finish. The uniquely intense flavor nuances of this coffee are a real treat in the Light to Medium roast range!

UGANDA BEANS: In Western Uganda the Bukonzo Organic Farmers Co-operative Union (BOCU) is committed to sustainable coffee production. BOCU is made up of 1,975 smallholder farmers, the majority of whom are women. BOCU has invested in social programs and technical training for its members and continues to push for better coffee production. Ugandan Coffee is a unique African coffee in the fact that it has a low acidity. This coffee is mild and smooth, with pleasant chocolate/tobacco/cedar notes, low to medium body. Exhibits flavor nuances of brown sugar and dried fruit, with a cocoa aroma. If you are looking for that classic African coffee ‘clean cup taste’ but with a low acidity this is your coffee!

Although Ethiopia isn’t exactly a big player in terms of the amount of coffee produced, it is still the biggest coffee producer in Africa. About 90% of the raw coffee is grown on small, privately owned plantations. Both wet (washed) and dry (natural) processing of the beans are common in Ethiopia. Because of periods with intense drought and heat, the harvest has to be carried out on time in order to prevent the coffee cherries from dehydrating on the plants. Most of the Ethiopian coffee is harvested by hand.

Kenyan coffee is well-known and liked, both in Europe and in USA. The beans produce a sharp, fruity acidity, combined with full body and rich fragrance. Coffee is grown on the foothills of Mount Kenya, often by small farmers. Kenyan producers place an emphasis on quality and as a result, processing and drying procedures are carefully controlled and monitored. Kenya has its own unique grading system. Kenyan AA is the largest bean in a 10-size grading system, and AA+ means that it is estate grown.

Today Ethiopia, is Africa’s major exporter of Kaffa and Sidamo beans, now known as Arabica, the quality coffee of the world, and the variety that originated in Ethiopia. Coffea Arabica, which was identified by the botanist Linnaeus in 1753, is one of the two major species used in most production, and presently accounts for around 70 per cent of the world’s coffee.

Ethiopia, where coffee was first discovered, is this months focus for “Know your beans.” This amazing region is rich, despite what we may think about it from the 80’s and the famine that it was experiencing. To begin the country and culture offer a rich history, especially among the Christian world, as one of the oldest Christian societies. This at times translates into the coffee culture. The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony is an example of this merging of traditions.

Four times a day Ethiopians gather, like monks for prayer, to stop the busyness of life, to spend time over a freshly roasted cup of coffee and contemplate their day with each other. Their goal is to remain connected with each other during this intimate moment. Moments like this ceremony is a reminder wealth can be measured in many ways beyond monetary.

Sources

www.africancoffeeclub.com, perfectdailygrind.com, africa.com, www.suddencoffee.com, coffeeaffection.com, www.roastycoffee.com, coffeebi.com,