Description

We previously described Ethiopian coffee in our product description for our 1kg Trovato Milano espresso beans. There we characterised the country and the beans it produces and here we will look at the regions and why understanding them makes a big difference to coffee blends.

The main coffee growing regions in Ethiopia are Harrar (to the east of Addis Ababa), Sidamo (which includes Yirgacheffe) to the south of Addis Ababa and Gambella (to the south west of Addis Ababa). The best map to explain Ethiopian coffee regions is here.

The challenge in describing Ethiopian coffee names and regions is that names of places are used to classify the coffee types and they can overlap. So for example, coffee is grown in Sidamo province and so Sidamo is an origin name but Yirgacheffe, which is in Sidamo province, is also an origin name. So technically, all Yirgacheffe coffee is Sidamo coffee!

Each region produces a different coffee profile and so Ethiopian coffee is very diverse. Add to that different processing methods and you can very easily have tremendous variability in taste from the same coffee region.

For our Trovato Milano espresso bean blend, we select Sidamo which is dry processed and is described on the nose as having a fruity aroma with a hint of almond. The acidity is mild and it develops a good body. Flavours include hints of lemon culminating in a pleasing earthy aftertaste.

When blended into the Brazilian and Costa Rican beans, it livens up the blend to offer a rounded coffee taste with enough flavour to capture the attention of your tastebuds!