Ethiopia Organic Sidamo Grade 2 Single Origin Coffee

The region of Abyssinia in Ethiopia is the original home of coffee, the coffees that are mostly still planted wild here are among the most diverse and complex in the world.

The Sidamo is a coffee where one is inclined to say: Perfect! Aroma and flavor are of enormous intensity and the typical character traits of a Sidamo, the fine, sweet spiciness and the floral notes, seem to be really "condensed" in this coffee. It is perfect for the stamp pot (the French Press) or classic filter methods. We recommend not to brew the Ethiopia Sidamo too hot (up to 93° C). Then it unfolds its characteristics perfectly and the floral notes come into their own.

Ethiopia Sidamo is also a great coffee for the fully automatic machine. The traditional roasting process makes it particularly digestible and low in irritants. The Mocha variety naturally contains less caffeine (0.8-0.9%). We ask you to follow the same parameters for brewing as for filtering.

The foundations for this intensity are laid by the exclusive harvesting of ripe coffee cherries, quality processing and special packaging that preserves the freshness of the green coffee for a particularly long time. Together with the ideal growing conditions and a gentle long-term roasting process, these factors make Ethiopia Sidamo an absolute top-quality coffee.

In Ethiopia, all coffees that leave the country are traded on the state commodity exchange and divided into quality classes: in the process, the original regional designations are now used as quality designations. Our Sidamo does not necessarily come from the region around Sidamo, but it tastes like a good Sidamo should taste - unfortunately, the exact origin remains hidden to us.

Details on coffee cultivation in Ethiopia:

Africa supplies about one-sixth of the world's coffee volume. While East African producers grow Arabicas, Robustas predominate in the extensive plantations of West Africa. In the countries in the geographical center of Africa, both varieties thrive. In Arab countries, coffee cultivation does not play an economic role.

Ethiopia is Africa's largest exporter of Arabica coffee, producing 270,000 tons of green coffee in 2010. Small private coffee plantations produce about 90% of the coffee, while the large state-owned plantations contribute the rest. The total area under coffee cultivation is difficult to determine because the plots are fragmented and interspersed with other crops. It is estimated that Ethiopia has over 320,000 hectares of coffee trees. Annual production ranges from 200,000 to 300,000 tons, depending on weather and prices. Over 35% of the total production is consumed locally. The Ethiopian government is committed to encouraging private investment in the coffee industry in hopes of expanding plantations and improving quality and productivity.

All exported coffee, washed or sun-dried, is shipped either to Addis Ababa or to Dire Dawa for auction to export companies. Dire Dawa serves as the auction and export center for the region's sun-dried Harar variety. Twenty bowls containing several kilograms of coffee per variety are displayed and labeled with information about origin (especially whether lowland or highland). The auction will be conducted by the government of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is the original home of green coffee. Its coffees are of a unique variety and distinctiveness. The main classifications are: Gimbi, Harrar, Limu, Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. As is common in Africa, green coffee beans are processed both dry (east) and wet (west). The green coffee beans are usually small to medium in size, deep greenish-bluish to greenish-yellow in color, and have a rough surface. In the Harrar region, the coffee cherries are placed in the sun to dry; occasionally they are even left on the bush or tree until they are withered by the sun. The result is an experience in the cup: medium-bodied, fruity, multi-layered sweetness, with an incredible variety of aromas. Unwashed green coffees from the Gimbi and Sidamo regions are somewhat lighter and rougher in flavor.

For us, Yirgacheffe is one of the kings of the coffee world: light to medium body, exuberant floral aromas with citrus components, with well-balanced acidity. Washed green coffees of the Limu, Sidamo or Jimma classification are similar, but not quite as fine as the Yirgacheffe.

Relationship between the character of the variety and the designation

Ethiopian coffees are classified according to the following characters:

-

Sidamo = sweet, floral
- Yirgacheffe = floral, citrus, spicy
- Limu = vinous
- Lekempti = fruity
- Harrar = ber

ry Jimma

(Jima, Djimmah) occupies a special position, which cannot be clearly characterized, especially due to its variety diversity. Each coffee destined for auction or export is assigned its character (e.g. Sidamo = sweet; Yirga Cheffe = flowery, spicy) by the state tasting center as part of its quality controls. This classification is made regardless of the origin of the coffee. The decisive factor for the designation of a coffee is therefore not the growing region, but the character of the coffee!!!

The administrative boundaries are therefore not identical with the boundaries of the coffee characters! For example, coffee from Wanago, a district of the Gedeo zone where the famous Yirgacheffe (named after the district of Yirgacheffe) is produced, is classified as either Yirgacheffe or Sidamo (named after the former province of Sidamo) because of its different character depending on its location.

Classification of Varieties

The Top qualities of green coffee are given as Grade 1 (0-3 defects) and Grade 2 (4-12 defects) or Grade 3 for washed varieties. The best sun-dried varieties of the East are given grades 4 and 5. It is rumored that varieties are sometimes arbitrarily graded lower to keep customs clearance costs lower.