Ethiopia
Ethiopia is acknowledged as the birthplace of Coffea arabica, produces some of the best coffees on earth and is the 8 th coffee exporter of the world.
The variety of individual cultivars, many as yet undiscovered, has no rivals anywhere in the world.
Ethiopian coffee was traditionally dry processed but wet processing increasingly became more and more common and the outcome of such process is often amazing.
Coffee began to be significantly exported in the 19th century, although half of the production remained (and still remains) within the country for local consumption. Ethiopians usually prepare coffee during a fascinating ceremony, using a jebena – a pottery jug with a spherical base.
This country relies on coffee as a major source of revenue. As a matter of fact around 15 million people are employed by the coffee industry!
Ethiopian coffee is mainly produced according to three different systems:
- forest: wild-grown coffee is harvested by the locals;
- garden: grown in smallholder plots, along with other crops (this is the most common system)
- plantation: grown on large estates.
And it is celebrated globally for its wide range of unique organoleptic profiles.
