Explore the origin of coffee-Ethiopian coffee producing area Sidamo, where is Sidamo?

For professional baristas, please follow the coffee workshop (Wechat official account cafe_style)

Ethiopia is known as the birthplace of coffee. It is an important producing area of fine bean coffee nowadays. It is also a treasure land in the hearts of many coffee lovers. Some people say that Ethiopia is the "Garden of Coffee Eden", where Arabica coffee trees were first discovered in the world. Coffee is grown almost everywhere in Ethiopia, with thousands or even tens of thousands of coffee varieties.

In this tropical country, about 15 million people are engaged in coffee production-related industries, of which about 1.1 million are coffee farmers. More than 90% of Ethiopia's farms or cooperatives are grown in small areas, and most of the coffee produced is traditional Arabica varieties. Ethiopian coffee is recognized as a major producer of both quality and output in the world. The annual output of coffee is about 350000 tons, and more than 70% of it is exported to countries around the world, accounting for more than half of the GDP of the country. It is a very important export agricultural product.

In eastern Africa lies the vast Ethiopian plateau, which ranks sixth in the world in average altitude, so it is known as the "roof of Africa". In its territory, the East African Rift Valley runs through the central region, dividing it into east and west walls, while deserts and semi-deserts account for 28% of the territory, with many rivers and lakes, forming a diverse geographical environment and hydroclimate, so the coffee flavor of Ethiopia is not only multi-element, but also very rich.

Ethiopia is located between 3 and 14 degrees north latitude, with coffee trees covering an area of nearly 600000 hectares. There are two rainy seasons a year in the south and east, while there is only a single rainy season in the west. The distribution of rainy seasons is different, so that coffee is harvested in Ethiopia all the year round. Coffee grows between 550m and 2750 meters above sea level. The western and southern soils are volcanic rocks, mineral-rich soils are slightly acidic, and the average annual temperature is 15-25 degrees Celsius, making it an excellent growing environment for Arabica.

There are four major coffee systems throughout the territory:

(1) forest coffee (2) semi-forest coffee (3) pastoral coffee (4) farm coffee

95% of the coffee in the country is cultivated organically without fertilization or medicine, but it has not yet been internationally certified.

Use different ways to treat coffee beans. Sun or water washing is available in each district, and different treatment methods also affect the flavor. Ethiopia traditionally uses the ancient sun treatment, but since the introduction of water washing technology in 1972, it has gradually increased the ratio of water washed beans for more than 30 years. At present, the sun method accounts for about 80%, and water washing accounts for about 20%. Sidamo and Yirgacheffe are mainly washed by water and supplemented by sunlight, while Limmu and Teppi are mainly washed by water. The sun-dried beans are mainly Harar, Jimma, Lekempti and Illubabor.