Best Ethiopian Coffee Among World's Finest Gourmet Coffee Beans

Sidamos, Yirgacheffes, Harrars and Ghimbi Coffees - Variations on a Theme

Most premium coffee connoisseurs will quickly tell you that Ethiopian coffees are among the Top Ten Coffees in the World. With a wildness in the acidity that will put a pep in your step, and a delicious winey and pungent character.

Ethiopia's Coffee Growing Regions

Ghimbi coffees are produced in the western region of Ethiopia. Known for their complex tastes and aromas, the Ghimbi coffees are known for their sharp acidity and richness.

Complex, full-bodied Sidamo coffees are grown in southern Ethiopia exhibiting a very rich mouthfeel with a bright and lively finish.

Also grown in the south are the delicate-bodied Yirgacheffes with a spicy fragrance, floral aroma and pleasant, sweet taste followed with tones of citrus. Most of the finest southern Ethiopia coffees are wet processed coffees.

In Ethiopia's eastern region, however, the finest coffees are generally dry processed. These are the Harrars known for their winey and fruity notes with tones of blueberry and a pleasant overall complexity with a dry edge. Harrars are bright coffees with the acidity sometimes described as brilliant.

Ethiopia's Djimma coffees may be wet or dry processed, with the wet-processed Djimmas generally being well-respected as a low-acid coffee.

Other fine Ethiopian coffees include Lekempti and Limu. Grown as high as 6,200 feet above sea level, Limu coffee is well balanced with a low acidity and nice spicy and winey flavors providing a sweet vibrancy to the coffee, sometimes quite sharp.

The Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Coffee is a revered part of the culture and daily life in Ethiopia. See the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony to learn about the traditions and rituals associated with the daily tradition of serving and enjoying coffee in Ethiopia.

More details about Ethiopia's long tradition with coffee and its role in the spread of coffee around the globe can be found in the World's Best History of Coffee.

Green Coffee Production

Year	60kg bags	Coffee grown
2016	6,600,000 bags	871,200,000 pounds
2015	6,713,975 bags	886,244,753 pounds
2014	6,625,262 bags	874,534,558 pounds
2013	6,527,444 bags	861,622,595 pounds
2012	6,233,007 bags	822,756,871 pounds

Green Coffee Exports

Year	60kg bags	Coffee exported
2016	0	0 pounds
2015	3,091,980	408,141,360 pounds
2014	2,872,260	379,138,320 pounds
2013	3,044,440	401,866,080 pounds
2012	3,166,010	417,913,320 pounds

Data may not be available for the most recent year.
Source: ICO

Facts

Ethiopia is the #5 largest coffee growing country in the world, in 2015 they...
produced 886,244,753 lbs
exported 408,141,360 lbs
That's only 46% exported!

Sounds like a lot? It's actually 4.4% of the coffee grown worldwide.

Ethiopia coffee is grown on mountainside "fincas" (farms) at 1500 to 2200 meters above sea level
(that's 4,922 to 7,218 ft)


Source: ICO