Ethiopian Coffee: The Cradle of the World’s Prized Beans
Ethiopia has always been associated with great coffee. While this is true, you really must learn more about Ethiopian coffee to truly appreciate it. Whether it’s the fascinating story of the cradle of modern coffee or the East African country’s unique coffee-growing landscape, the story of Ethiopian coffee is just as impressive as the beverage.
Ethiopian coffee is special - being the only country in the world where the crop is indigenous. Coffee from Ethiopia is famed for its brightness and vibrant fruity and floral flavor profile and aroma.
Our guide takes a deep dive into everything there is to know about Ethiopian coffee, why it's among the most prized on the market, and how you can get your hands on it.
Modern Coffee Origins: The Legend of Kaldi
Coffee worldwide, particularly Coffea Arabica or arabica coffee**, traces its roots to present-day Ethiopia. According to some experts, arabica coffee was discovered by a goat herder named Kaldi around 850 C.E. Legend says that Kaldi was herding his goats when he noticed how energetic they became after chewing on wild berries growing on what is known as arabica coffee trees today.
Kaldi then shared this knowledge with the local monastery who made a drink from the berries and experienced its energy and alertness-inducing effects. The monk then shared this knowledge with other monks, resulting in the widespread consumption of the beverage across the nation.
**It’s worth noting that only Coffea Arabica traces its roots to Ethiopia. The other common species, Coffea Canephora, from which the robusta varietal comes, traces its roots to East, Central, and Western Africa.
Arabica Coffee: From Ethiopia to the Arabian Peninsula
The widespread consumption of coffee did not stop in Ethiopia. In fact, coffee became a popularised beverage globally due to its widespread consumption in the Arabian peninsula. Modern prized coffee beans, such as the Mocha Java, were cultivated by crossbreeding Yemeni Mocha and Indonesia’s Java coffee varietals.
According to some experts, arabica coffee was introduced in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly Yemen, through trade with Ethiopia. The term “Arabica” was coined in the 8th century when coffee beans first crossed the Red Sea from Ethiopia into present-day Yemeni in the district of “Arabia”.
From this trade, the crop was introduced to the Arabian peninsula and gave rise to a particular varietal, the moka, mocha, or Al-mukha (named after the Yemeni port it was traded from). It’s safe to say while arabica coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, By the 16th century, coffee was enjoyed across different parts of the Arabian peninsula, including present-day Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. However, some experts argue that arabica coffee has always been native to both Ethiopia and Yemen. Either way, both Ethiopia and the Arab world continue to enjoy a strong coffee culture today.
Ethiopian Arabica: The Mother of Modern Coffee
Modern-day arabica coffee grown across the world traces its origins to Ethiopia. After all, Ethiopia is the only place in the world where this coffee species is truly native. Today, arabica coffee is grown across coffee belt regions in Africa, the Americas, and Asia.
These crops were introduced to these regions between the 16th and 20th centuries. Coinciding with the colonial era, arabica coffee was introduced to these regions by colonial authorities and was usually cultivated in plantations.
Arabica in Asia
For instance, Indonesian Java coffee was introduced to the island of Java (from which it got its name)by the Dutch colonizers in the 17th century. As the crop thrived in plantations in Java, its cultivation was expanded to the Sumatra and Celebes regions.
The same was done by different colonial authorities in other regions - some with success and others not so much. For example, the Dutch tried to introduce the same arabica beans grown in Java into India but conditions weren’t as ideal as those in Indonesia.
Arabica in Africa - Outside Ethiopia
In Tanzania and Rwanda, the German colonial authority introduced the crop from Ethiopia in the 19th century. The same was done across other colonial authorities in Kenya, Burundi, Madagascar, and La Reunion.
Arabica in the Americas
Coffee from Ethiopia traveled through various countries before finding its final destination in the Americas. For instance, one of the world’s largest producers of coffee today, Brazil’s first coffee crop could be traced to America’s first coffee lot in Martinique.
Coffee had made its way to Martinique from France where King Louis XIV had received an Ethiopian arabica seedling as a gift from the Mayor of Amsterdam. Growing in Martinique for over 5 decades, seedlings from this island nation were spread to other Caribbean, south, and Central American countries where plantations were established.
Among these countries was French Guiana. The French Governor’s wife gifted seeds to a Brazilian envoy whom the governor had originally declined their request for. The governor's wife concealed the seeds in a bouquet gifted to the envoy who managed to smuggle and bring the seeds to Brazil.
But, perhaps, the most interesting modern-day- arabica coffee variety from Ethiopia is the Gesha coffee. Native to the Gori Gesha forest in Ethiopia, this coffee variety was introduced to present-day Tanzania during the colonial period in the 1950s.
The coffee was grown at a research center with the subsequent seedlings being sent off to Central and Latin America in Costa Rica, Panama, and neighboring countries. However, some of the crops remained in Tanzania. To date, the gesha varietal remains one of the best arabica varieties growing in the East African country.
But, this was not the end of the journey for gesha. From the 1950s, several countries in Latin America continued to grow the gesha coffee - without much attention. Everything changed in the 1990s when the owner of a particular plantation, the Hacienda la Esmeralda, in Panama, decided to experiment with the varietal’s growing conditions.
Within a decade, Hacienda la Esmeralda cultivated a better Gesha coffee varietal, allowing it to earn its place among the best and most expensive coffees in the world.
Arabica Coffee in the Modern World
Today, arabica coffee from various regions boasts varying characteristics - even though they share the same origin. In fact, you can find a myriad of arabica varieties across the coffee belt regions.
Many of these arabica varietals have emerged through farmer cross-breeding, research, and natural mutation. For instance, many of the best arabica varietals have mutated to become more resistant to common diseases, such as leaf rust.
Similarly, arabica coffee beans growing in different areas have varying characteristics. Arabica coffee beans from Kenya will not have the same characteristics as those from Colombia.
Even the Kenyan bourbon arabica variety will not be the same as those in Colombia. Similarly, arabica coffee growing in different parts of Colombia will have varying flavor profiles.
Here are factors that contribute to these differences:
The environment - geographical location, soil makeup and climate
Crop’s adaptation (mutation) to the environment over decades
Farming practices - hybridization to survive the environment
Growing conditions - traditional farm vs plantation
Processing style
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