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The scramble by early coffee traders to make a quick fortune from the coffee plant, resulted in its cultivation spreading like wildfire to tropical regions all around the world. Nowadays, about two-thirds of it comes from the Americas; however, the rest of the world still has significantly large producing areas. The wide range of climatic conditions, soil types and altitude that can be found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn give the coffee from each area its own unique taste. First of all, we will outline the main growing regions of Ethiopia, our area of specialisation, and then we will briefly describe prominent areas in the rest of the world.
Ethiopia supplies about 3% of the global coffee market and is Africa’s second largest producer and third largest exporter behind Ivory Coast and Uganda. It is the seventh largest producer in the world. Annual production is estimated at 4.6 million bags of which 40 – 45 percent is consumed domestically. Coffee accounts for 60% of the country’s export earnings, and one-fourth of the population is engaged in coffee production, transportation and marketing. The country has about 400,000 hectares under coffee cultivation spread over several different growing areas. The largest of these areas lie south and west of Addis Ababa, near the border with Sudan. There are approximately 332,000 peasant farms and 19,000 state farms. About 12 million people work in the coffee industry. Ethiopia has more genetic diversity among its coffee varieties than any other country. Nine different bean varieties are cultivated in the four main growing areas, all with distinctive tastes, shapes and colours. Ecological factors such as rainfall, temperature, shade, altitude and soil give individual bean varieties their unique local character.
Forest Coffee Semi-forest Coffee
There are four different production systems in Ethiopia: Forest coffee, Semi-forest coffee, Garden coffee and Plantation coffee. Forest coffee is self sown and grown under the full coverage of natural forest trees. It accounts for about 10% of the total coffee production. Semi-forest coffee production is found in the southern and south-western parts of the country. This system accounts for about 35% of Ethiopia’s production. Garden coffee is found mainly in the Southern and Eastern part of the Country. It is planted at low densities ranging from 1000 to 1800 trees per hectare, mostly fertilized with organic material and inter-cropped. It accounts for about 35% of the total production. Plantation coffee includes plantations owned by the state and some private commercial farms. Plantation coffee accounts for about 5% of the total production. About 20% of Ethiopian coffee is grown in heavy shade, 30% in moderate shade and 50% in light shade. Northern Ethiopia is the smallest of Ethiopia's coffee growing regions. Virtually all of the coffee is forest or semi-forest coffee which grows wild on the mountain slopes around Lake Tana or high on the Amhara Plateau. Smaller quantities are also harvested from the Choke mountains to the south of Lake Tana. It is processed by the sun-dried method. The vast majority of the coffee produced in this area is consumed domestically, not because it is of an inferior quality, but because the long distance from the coffee export market in Addis Ababa makes it less economic. Nevertheless, much of the coffee served in the tourist centres of Gondor, Bahar Dar and Lalibela is from this region. Sometimes this coffee is sold under the names of coffee from the western region so that it fits nicely into the Coffee & Tea Authority's classification system. Small quantities can be obtained but large amounts for wholesale are much harder to come by. In Eastern Ethiopia, coffee trees are grown between 5,000 and 6,000 feet on small peasant plots and farms. These coffees may be called Harar Longberry (large bean), Harar Shortberry (smaller bean), Harar Mocha (distinctive chocolate taste) or Harar Peaberry (single bean). They are all cultivated simply, processed by the traditional dry method, and are no doubt organic. Ethiopian Harar is characterised by winy and blueberry undertones, with good body and high acidity. The term Mochaicity is sometimes used to describe how typical a coffee is to this region. Coffee is cultivated from the low lying plains of Darolebu which are around 900 metres above sea level to the soaring peaks of the Chercher Highlands at around 2,700 metres. Most of the coffee is garden coffee cultivated on small farms. However, a little forest coffee is harvested near Goba in the Mendebo Mountains. Western Ethiopia produces most of the forest and semi-forest coffee. Much of it grows wild under the canopy of high trees in the lush, dense forests that cover this mountainsides. A lot of the coffee from this area is processed by the wet method which leaves the beans covered by a protective parchment, reducing the possibility of contamination or spoiling. Examples of coffee from this area are Ghimbi, Lekempti, or the award winning Limu. These coffees have the winy undertones of Harar but can be richer, more balanced, and have a heavier body and longer finish. Southern Ethiopia produces mostly washed coffees with fruity acidity and intense aromas; however, some of the dry processed Sidamo is excellent quality. These coffees are known by the names of the districts in which they are produced, such as Sidamo, or by terms like Ethiopian Fancies or Ethiopian Estate Grown. The most famous of these coffees is Yirgacheffe, which has an unparalleled fruity aroma, light and elegant body, and an almost menthol taste. Most of the coffee produced in this area is garden coffee produced on small peasant farms and sold by cooperatives and collectives. However, some forest and semi-forest coffee is produced in the Jinka region on the shoulders of Africa's Great Rift Valley. The area lies to the south of the southern lakes, a full days travel from Addis Ababa by road. Sidamo is the name given to virtually all of the coffee from this region by the Coffee & Tea Authority, Yirgacheffe, which is a village in the Sidamo region, being the exception. Coffee Growing Areas in the Rest of the WorldAfrica & ArabiaSouth East AsiaLatin America & the CaribbeanHawaiiIndia
Cameroon:Cameroon produces the Java and Inéac varieties of Robusta as well as Blue Mountain Arabica, which comes from Java and Jamaica. The production from the plantations, however, is not always as high as expected because of the subsistence crops, grown in between the coffee trees, which absorb much of the fertiliser used. Cameroon is placed fifteenth in the world for production and fifth on the African continent. Congo:The twelfth biggest coffee producer in the world, Congo sells its Canephora and Kwilu varieties to most of the large Western European countries. Around 80% of its production is carried out on small farms of no more than six hectares. 850,000 families make a living exclusively from coffee. Ivory Coast:The Ivory Coast almost exclusively cultivates Robusta. In the mid 1990s it was the largest African coffee producer, fifth in the world overall and second for the production of Robusta. Since then it has dropped to number nine in the world. This decline is due to an emphasis on volume coupled with a lack of investment and planning. Today, most exports end up as mass-market coffee in Europe, especially France and Italy. Although forty-five percent of the working population make a living from coffee, there are frequent droughts and there is a growing trend among coffee farmers to switch to cocoa production which requires less work and is often more profitable. Kenya:The government of Kenya has a system that rewards growers with higher prices for better quality. As a result, with the exception of Ethiopia, Kenya produces the best coffee in Africa. It is cultivated on small farms, in the area which extends from the south of Mount Kenya to Nairobi. Kenyan coffee is wet-processed and sold by the size of the bean, with AA signifying the largest beans, followed by A and B. The best Kenyan coffee, called Estate Kenya, can cost twice as much as regular AA's - but it is well known for its tremendous body, winy acidity, blackcurrant flavour and distinctive aroma. Kenyan AAA (triple A) is a prominent coffee sold in the gourmet coffee industry. Madagascar:The island of Madagascar is the twenty-second largest producer in the world and produces Robusta, Arabica and Excelse. Unfortunately, frequent cyclones and the poor road network have prevented it becoming a more prominent producer. In 1878, the Arabica plantations were decimated by orange rust, and were replaced by Liberia and Robusta coffee trees. The former proved to be of inferior quality and the latter gave too low a yield. Since 1900, Kwilu from the Ivory Coast and Robusta from the Congo have been introduced. Tanzania:The coffee industry in Tanzania developed in a similar way to that in Kenya because management of its coffee industry was by the same people: originally German, latterly British. However, more recently the coffee industry has failed to prosper to the same extent as in Kenya. Most Tanzanian coffees are grown near the border of Kenya on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and are sometimes referred to as Kilimanjaro, Moshi or Arusha. Other coffees are grown further south between Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa, and are usually called Mbeya, after one of the region's cities or Pare, the name of the cities market. All coffees are wet-processed and graded by bean size, with the highest grade being AA, then A and B. Tanzanian coffees are characterised by a winy acidity, medium to full body, and deep richness. Peaberries are often separated from flat beans and sold at a premium for the enhanced flavour characteristics they possess. Uganda:Most of the coffee produced in Uganda is Robusta, and is used for instant coffee and inexpensive blends. Uganda does produce one fine Arabica called Bugishu, which is grown on the western slopes of Mt. Elgon on the Kenyan border. This coffee is winy in its acidity, and is similar to Kenyan coffee in flavour, though lighter in body. Coffee accounts for 93% of the country's export revenue and employs 83% of all rural workers. Yemen:Yemen was the birthplace of commercial coffee cultivation and the name of the port from where it was originally exported, Mocha, has entered the vocabulary of the world's coffee trade. Yemeni coffee has a rich chocolate aftertaste which has led to the term Mocha being used for mixtures of hot chocolate and coffee in some coffee shops. Yemeni coffee is grown at the south western tip of the Arabian Peninsula in the northern mountains and is sun-dried. It is a balanced coffee with medium to full body, good acidity and chocolate undertones. Two famous market names for this coffee are Mattari and Sanani. Sanani mochas have a wild, fruity acidity, while Mattari mochas are known for their full body and chocolate undertones. Zimbabwe:Coffee is grown on medium-sized farms and is a less potent version of Kenyan coffee, containing less acid and less body. The best comes from the Chipinga region. Indonesia:Indonesia comprises 13,000 Pacific Islands, of which 6,000 are inhabited. It is the world's third largest producer of coffee. However, only 10% of the crop is Arabica, and the number of quality beans available for the specialty coffee industry is limited. Even though they are a small percentage of total production, Arabica coffees from this region are considered to be some of the best in the world. They are prized for their richness, full body, long finish, earthiness and gentle acidity. The Dutch first brought Arabica to their colony in Java, in what was then known as the Dutch Indies, in the mid 18th century. Cultivation proved so successful that "Java" became a synonym for all coffee. Java:Early Dutch explorers brought Arabica trees to Java, which became the world's leading producer of coffee until rust wiped out the industry in the 1870s. Farmers replanted, only to see their crops devastated again by military occupation during World War II. The acreage was again replanted but this time with disease-resistant, and less desirable Robusta stock. With the support of the Indonesian government, Arabica is once again being grown on some of the original Dutch estates. Estate Java is a wet-processed coffee that is more acidic, lighter in body and quicker to finish than other coffees in the region. Smoke and spice are flavours often associated with this coffee's acidity. Some Javanese coffee is stored in warehouses for two or three years and is referred to as Old Java. This ageing process causes the coffee to lose acidity and gain body and sweetness. New Guinea:New Guinea lies just north of Australia and is divided down it's centre between the country of Papua New Guinea on the east and Indonesia's Irian Jaya province to the west. Papua New Guinea, which occupies the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, is usually where coffee labelled New Guinea is grown. Cultivation started in 1937 with seeds imported from Jamaica's Blue Mountain region. Coffee is cultivated by peasants on small plantations in the mountain highlands around Mt. Hagen, and processed using the wet method. Two of New Guinea's most famous coffees are Sigri and Arona. These coffees are less acidic and aromatic than the best coffees of Sulawesi and less full-bodied than the best Sumatrans, but nonetheless they are well-balanced with a fruity aroma and earthy body. Sulawesi (or Celebes):Once known as Celebes, the island of Sulawesi in the Malay peninsula produces some of the world's finest coffee. Celebes Toraja, grown in the mountainous area near the centre of the island, is one of the most famous. Coffees from Sulawesi are processed using the dry method and possess an intriguing combination of sweetness and earthiness. They are low in acidity with a deep body resembling maple syrup. These coffees are more expensive than Sumatran coffees because of small yields and the strong demand for this coffee in Japan. Two of the world's best and most famous coffees come from Sumatra: Mandheling and Ankola. Both are dry-processed coffees grown in west-central Sumatra, near the port of Pandang, at altitudes of between 2,500 and 5,000 feet. Mandheling is known for it's herbal aroma, full body, low acidity and rich and smooth flavour. Though these coffees are difficult to find, they remain moderate in price. Vietnam:French missionaries first brought coffee to Vietnam in the mid-1860s, but production remained negligible as late as 1980. In the 1990s, however, Vietnamese coffee production was ratcheted up at a furious pace. Maybe too quickly for it's own good with worries about quality circulating. Vietnam specialises in Robusta production. Brazil:The coffee industry in Brazil was started in the early 1720s with seedlings obtained from French Guiana. The coffee industry thrived, mainly due to the fact that one-third of its landscape is suitable for coffee cultivation. By 1845 Brazilian coffee already accounted for the largest portion of world production and by 1906 it accounted for 97%.
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