Featured Coffee: Ethiopian Yirgacheffe
What is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee? To fully appreciate this single origin wonder, we must go back to its roots.
by Lendl Romero
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Coffee blends, single origins, espresso roasts, Kenya, Ethiopia.
What in the world are these? The number of terms required to order a cup can be pretty intimidating, if I may say, even to those who drink coffee but don’t geek out.
Today, we’re going to talk about the so-called “Ethiopia Yirgacheffe” and discuss where and what in the world it is.
What is Ethiopia?
Ethiopia is one of four countries situated in the Horn of Africa, a peninsula in the east of the continent, covering Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
One of Ethiopia’s main crops is coffee, and it is said that the arabica species originated there.
So, where and what is Yirgacheffe?
Yirgacheffe, (Irgachefe, Yirgachefe, pronounced as “irrga-cheffehh”) is a place in the province of Sidamo (or Sidomo), Ethiopia. It is an important coffee growing region, with an elevation between 1880 and 1919 metres (6,168 and 6,296 ft) above sea level.
In short, Yirgacheffe (district), Sidamo (province), Ethiopia (country).
How does it affect my coffee cup?
When a coffee is labeled as “Ethiopia Yirgacheffe,” you can assume that that coffee came from that district. It is one of the places where the coffee produced is of high quality.
Coffees from Yirgacheffe grow and ripen slowly due to the high elevation. This allows more time for the tree to deliver nutrients to the coffee and develop the best flavors for your cup.
For the taste, coffees here may have bright acidity, complex floral notes, berry-like, and or citrusy-juicy. It all depends on where in Yirgacheffe the coffee was grown and processed.
Yirgacheffe coffee farmers are often members of the Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (YCFCU), which comprises 23 different member cooperatives with over 40,000 member farmers. Members receive a premium for their coffees, including Fair Trade and Organic certifications.*
So, the next time you see the “Ethiopia Yirgacheffe” label , you can expect an excellent cup, with over the top attention to care in processing — not cheap, but when properly prepared, worth every peso. .