Ethiopian coffee is known for its fragrant floral and fruit flavors, often with citrus overtones. Ethiopia’s high altitudes allow its beans to become denser, creating a smooth body with bright acidity – something Ethiopia is well-renowned for producing. Coffee has long been part of their culture as part of daily life for their people.

Ethiopia is best-known for coffee production and export, employing 25% of its population and serving as the centerpiece for daily ceremonies showcasing this ritual spanning from unroasted bean through roasting over fire, grinding fresh and preparation in ornate jebena pots for brewing – to sharing an unforgettable community moment woven into Ethiopian culture itself.

Ethiopia is home to an abundance of coffee farms and cooperatives, many of them organic. Beyond organic production, many Ethiopian farmers practice other sustainable farming techniques; such as growing their coffee under shade thereby decreasing chemical fertilizers and pesticide usage – these methods enable sustainable production of high-quality cherries while remaining environmentally sustainable.

Most historians consider Ethiopia the birthplace of coffee. According to Oromo folktale, Kaldi, a goatherder, discovered this magic bean while watching his flock graze on red berries found growing wild nearby. After soaking them with water he discovered they produced an invigorating warm drink which kept him alert during lengthy religious pilgrimages – thus becoming popular throughout other cultures and becoming valued commodities.

Ethiopia remains a leader in specialty coffee production today. Ethiopian producers have pioneered new techniques, such as fermentation, to accentuate its complexity of flavor. Ethiopia is also widely respected for upholding strict quality standards while producing an assortment of distinctive coffees that can be enjoyed during traditional ceremonies.

Ethiopia is home to numerous distinct growing regions, each distinguished by their own distinct features and flavor profiles. Yirgacheffe coffee from southern Gedeo is famed for its floral aroma and sweet, juicy flavor with sparkling citrus notes; in Sidamo coffee has full mouthfeel with smooth finishes while Harrar offers dry processed (unwashed; natural) options with winey tones or complex blueberry notes.

Ethiopia has a thorough coffee grading system that takes into account both physical bean quality and cup characteristics like flavor, balance, sweetness and acidity when assigning its graded coffees a grade. In 2017, Ethiopia Coffee Exchange (ECX) revised their guidelines so farmers could apply for export licenses themselves, giving them greater control of the process while providing them with accurate information regarding harvests to increase overall value of coffees sold through them.