Storibord Coffee Stories: Ethiopia

The legend tells that Ethiopia is the birth place of coffee, which much of written history seems to support that. The story of the first discovery of coffee tells of a goat herder, by the name of Kaldi, who was tending his goats while some of them happened to eat the fruit of a certain shrub, which caused the goats to dance. The coffee plant from there began its journey around the world. For a deeper history, check the National Coffee Association for more information.

The Ethiopian coffee I have in the Storibord collection is from Werka. Werka is a town in the Sidama province of Ethiopia. Coffee from Sidama is very well known in the coffee industry for its premium, yet delicate qualities in the cup. If you are familiar with the famous Yirgacheffe coffee area, it is in Sidama.

Located at 1900 to 2050 meters above sea level, the Werka Coffee Station is where 700 to 800 farmers bring their crop for processing. Average daily temperature is 77°F with a cool 60°F evening average. The cool nights help develop the maturation of the coffee fruit.

This Ethiopian coffee, as a filter-brewed coffee, carries flavor characteristics of juicy sweetness with complex fruit brightness, and a chocolate finish. When freshly ground, it wafts with a very lovely floral fragrance. My recommended brewing device with this Ethiopian coffee would be with the V60 pourover to showcase that juicy brightness.

Ethiopia takes great pride in how they celebrate coffee and life through their coffee ceremony. Saveur Magazine explains this Ethiopian coffee ceremony below.

Tom, from Sweet Maria's, takes us through a hike deep in the Bonga Forest of a remote coffee production village in Ethiopia. It is fascinating to see how the coffee tree grows wild and plentiful in this area of Ethiopia.