Are Ethiopian coffee beans the best?
So you're thinking about Ethiopian coffee beans, and you're wondering if they're the best? It's an interesting question, and there isn't really a simply yes or no answer, although I can give a fairly direct answer, which is:
Yes, Some of best tasting coffees in the world, comes from Ethiopia.
But if the question is literally "are Ethiopian coffee beans the best", then it really depends on many things, including which Ethiopian coffee beans in particular, and your palate.
Ethiopia produces many of the best known and most characteristic coffee beans, from rich & spicy Mocha Djimmah, to floral and Zesty Yirgacheffe, and with plenty of variation in between.
Whether you're looking for bright, zesty & complex, fruity and floral, winey & spicey, or chocolaty & fruity, all of this is available from Ethiopian coffees, depending on the region, the processing method and of course the roast.
Ethiopia - The Birthplace of Arabica Coffee Beans
Although I don't think there's any truth whatsoever to the "Khaldi the Goatherd" version of events that is often quoted in info about the origins of coffee, the one part of it that does appear to be true, is that Arabica coffee seems to have originated in what is now known as Ethiopia.
In case you're wondering about the "Goat Story" origins, it just makes no sense, in my humble opinion.
It basically suggests that in the area where coffee had been used by that time for centuries, probably millennia in fact, that a Goatherd stumbled upon this amazing fruit, based seeing the reaction of the goats when they ate them.
It then goes on to suggest that this chap handed these cherries to a Monk, who accidently discovered that coffee could be brewed, by throwing them into a fire, and then putting that fire out and drinking the ashy water ;-), come on!!
The truth of the matter, as far as I can tell, is that coffee (various coffee species including Arabica) grew wild in this area long before humans were around, and that the first humans living in the forests of what is now Ethiopia, consumed the cherries of the various coffee trees.
The Oromo tribes people have a very long history of brewing coffee by roasting and crushing the seeds of the coffee cherry (what we call "beans", even though they're not beans), and an even longer history of consuming the cherries and the seeds uncooked.
Tribespeople in this region are known to have collected coffee cherries and mixed them with animal fat, to make energy snacks that they kept in leather pouches to keep them energised during long hunting and gathering trips.
So although we can't know for sure that there weren't tribespeople from other parts of the world consuming the cherries of other coffee species for similar reasons, Ethiopia clearly has an unfathomably long history with coffee.
In terms of Ethiopia having been the birthplace of Arabica coffee, this appears to have now been proven by a genetic study, which concluded that Arabica has been growing in this region for somewhere between six hundred and ten to one million years ago.
This doesn't mean coffee itself can be dated to this time, by the way. It's thought that the ancestor species of Arabica came from a natural hybridisation of Coffea Eugenioides & Coffea Canephora (Robusta).
Where Do Coffee Beans Come From?
Ethiopia - The Most Diverse of Coffee Origins
I think we can possibly sum up the reason for Ethiopian coffee being thought of as among the best coffee on the planet, in one word: Diversity.
If you'd like to experience this diversity first hand, try these two coffees:
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These coffees are a great example of the diversity of taste profiles of Ethiopian coffee beans.
Despite the fact that these two coffees are both grown in Oromia zone, within about 120 miles of each other (as the bird flies), which isn't far at all when you consider that this zone is approx. 136 thousand square miles, you'd be forgiven for thinking they come from completely different origins.
Diverse Varietals
It's common for coffee origins to have a few dominant varietals, this definitely isn't the case in Ethiopia, in fact there are so many of them, giving them all names would probably be as daft as expecting bee keepers to individually name all their bees.
There are thought to be around 10,000 - 15,000 coffee varietals growing in Ethiopia, for this reason they're referred to as "Heirloom" varietals.
By the way, if you're wondering how many bees are in a hive, as I was - I can't tell you, the flipping things keep moving, and they all look the same ;-).
Actually it depends on when, in Winter there can be as few as around five thousand, while in summer usually more like 30,000 - 50,000, so there you go.
So all of these heirloom varietals, some of which are actually incredibly difficult to even classify or to distinguish from other similar varietals in terms of appearance, are one of the reasons that Ethiopian coffee has such a range of flavour profiles, combined with various other factors, including:
Coffee Growing Conditions
The conditions coffee is grown in of course makes a huge difference to the properties of the coffees growing in each region, due to the variations in altitude, temperature, soil composition and rainfall patterns, among others.
When it comes to higher grown coffees, such as Yirgacheffe, Guji & Sidamo, there's a slower growth, allowing for more complexity of flavour, and the cooler temperatures at higher altitudes means a denser bean, which can further intensify the flavours.
Slightly lower altitude regions of Ethiopia including the Djimmah region, lead to the faster development of coffee cherries due to warmer temperatures, which can produce greater body and more earthy and spicy flavour notes.
There are also Micro climates within the same regions, which means that coffee beans coming from the same areas within a relatively small variation of altitude, can deliver slightly different flavour profiles, with slightly higher grown coffees from the same region for example having accentuated floral characteristics, while lower grown coffees can be slightly more fruit-forward and can have slightly bigger body.
Ethiopian Coffee Cultivation
Something else that is special about Ethiopian coffee, is the way it's grown & harvested.
Most coffee production in Ethiopia is either what's known as "Garden" coffee or "Semi-Forest" coffee.
So although it wouldn't be quite fair to say that Ethiopian coffee is all harvest from the wild forests of Ethiopia, a lot of the best Ethiopian coffees are grown "wild" to some degree.
In fact only roughly 10% of the coffee produced in Ethiopia is produced in typical commercial coffee plantations, while around 50% is what is referred to as Garden coffee, which is where wild coffee plants are moved into areas closer to the homes of the coffee farmers.
Some coffee is truly grown wild, from deep within the forests of Ethiopia, but this is thought to be around 3-5% of total production, and although you may think that truly wild coffee would be the best Ethiopian coffee, this isn't quite the case, it's different but not necessarily "better".
When coffee farmers are harvesting wild coffee from deeper in the forest, not an easy stroll from where they live, it's not practical for them to only select ripe fruit, they need to collect just about everything they find.
Generally speaking the best quality coffee comes from some level of cultivation and from harvesting only the ripe cherries. Wild grown coffee tends to be more "rustic" & to have earthier flavour notes.
Ethiopian Coffee Processing Methods
The particular processing method used, which is often particular to each region, also has an influence on the resulting flavour profiles of this coffee.
The washed processing method in which the fruit is separated from the beans (seeds) by being washed in water, tends to enhance clarity and can help to amplify floral & citrus notes.
Natural processed coffees, where the cherries themselves are dried rather than the seeds first being separated from the fruit, tends to intensify both body and sweetness.
Some Ethiopian producers also use honey processing, which doesn't involve bees by the way ;-), this is a half way house in between the two, where some of the flesh is left on the seeds when left to dry, which is an option that can help to produce a greater balanced flavour and body.
Shade Grown Coffees
Something else particular to Ethiopia, is the frequency of shade grown coffee production. While many origins have shade grown coffees, shade grown coffee is unusually prevalent in Ethiopia, which makes this a distinctive feature of Ethiopian coffee, and is partly responsible for the unique flavour notes of Ethiopian coffees.
Tree canopies provide shade to the coffee plants, which produces numerous benefits in the cup, but more importantly, shade gown coffee production helps to support a more diverse ecosystem, and therefore to preserve biodiversity, by providing habitat for various other species of flora and fauna that would be lost in sun-grown production.
The lack of non-organic fertilizers and pesticides that shade grown coffee natural also helps to ensure, can help to ensure continued soil health and sustainable production.
So Ethiopian Coffee is The Best?
I think anyone reading up to this point probably won't still have this question, the information I've laid out will hopefully lead the reader to understand that while Ethiopia is one of the most diverse coffee production origins, with lots of different options to choose from, the answer to the "best" question really depends on the context of the question.