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Ethiopia - August '24 Coffee of the Month
Ethiopia - August '24 Coffee of the Month
Origin: Ethiopia
Dried Apricot, Fig, Lemongrass, Black Tea, Brown Sugar, Citrus
About the Coffee:
Geography: Region Oromia, Guji Zone, Shakiso Woreda
Altitude: 2000-2150 masl
Producer: Dambi Uddo, Guji Highlands Farm
Variety: Heirloom verieties
Processing: Washed
From Genuine Origin Website:
Organic Dambi Uddo Washed Processed Coffee
This organic green coffee from Guji Highland Coffee was cultivated at their farmed and processed at their estate and wet mill in the town of Dambi Uddo. Located in the Oromia region, Guji Zone, Odo Shakiso Woreda, the Dambi Uddo farm spans 150 hectares. The estate’s focus is the production of high-quality washed and natural coffees. During harvest, over 2,000 workers are employed by Dambi Uddo to hand-pick and process ripe red coffee cherries.
Guji Green Coffee Beans
The Oromo people of the Guji region have their own origin story for the discovery of coffee; that’s how deeply woven the crop is within their culture. Instead of Kaldi the goatherder, the Oromo sky god Waaqa brought forth a new plant from the earth with his tears that were shed over the wrongful death of a loyal servant. From as early as the 10th century, coffee has been present in Oromo culture as a special plant that provided energy when the beans were mixed with fats and eaten on long journeys.
Centuries later, farmers in Guji still follow traditional growing methods that complement the incredibly fertile soil. Many landrace coffee varieties still thrive on Ethiopia’s coffee farms. Coffees are generally intercropped with maize, barley, wheat, beans, and other crops that provide food for the family.
Washed Process Coffee in Ethiopia
In the “washed” or “wet” process coffee cherries are floated and sorted to ensure consistent ripeness and to remove any defective cherries. The seeds (coffee beans) are then removed from their skins using depulping machines and typically moved to fermentation tanks to remove the mucilage—the remaining fruit remnants.
Washed processing has become widely popular. The cup profile of washed coffees tends to reflect the terroir of the coffee. The processing method allows the growing conditions, the region, and the true character of the coffee to shine through.
Ethiopia Coffee Quality Grading
Coffee grading in Ethiopia is based on the combined result of physical qualities and cup qualities, including altitude, imperfections, and flavor. Grades range from 1 (high) to 9 (low), with grades 1 and 2 considered specialty.
Ethiopia Green Coffee Beans
Ethiopia, the homeland of Arabica coffee, might only produce 3-4% of the world’s coffee supply, but the variety of character that comes from this origin is astounding. Ethiopia green coffee is celebrated for its bright fruit and floral flavors, expressed with exceptional acidity and sweetness. Out of the many coffee-growing districts in the country, a few stand out from the crowd with their highly distinctive cup profiles, like Yirgacheffe, Sidama, and Guji.