West Arsi, Sidamo, EthiopiaCoffee Bean Intro:

Introduction

When it comes to Ethiopian coffee regions, the most well-known are undoubtedly Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. However, with the development of agricultural policies and specialty coffee in Ethiopia, many lesser-known regions have gradually emerged into the public eye. Today, we introduce a rising star—West Arsi.

Ethiopian Sidamo Arsi Coffee

Ethiopia Sidami West Arsi

Coffee Region: West Arsi, Sidamo

Planting Altitude: 1900-2200m

Coffee Variety: Local Heirloom

Processing Method: Natural

Grade: G1

West ARSI

Located between the famous Yirgacheffe coffee-growing region and Hararge, West ARSI lies in the eastern part of Sidamo at an altitude of 1900-2200 meters. Thanks to its high elevation and fertile soil, coupled with traditional green organic farming practices using fallen leaves or plant residues as fertilizer, the coffee produced here boasts rich tropical fruit notes and excellent sweetness.

The name Arsi originates from a branch of the Oromo people, the Arsi Oromo, who have long inhabited the area. West Arsi consists of three woredas (Ethiopia’s third-level administrative divisions): Arsi, Bale, and East Shewa. Approximately 88.52% of the population in West Arsi are Oromo, which is significant in coffee history as they were the first tribe in human history to drink coffee. Half of Ethiopia’s coffee production comes from this region.

Coffee farming in West Arsi is carried out by smallholders, with each farm averaging around 2-3 hectares. Even so, these farms are slightly larger than the typical 1.5-2 hectares seen in most other parts of Ethiopia. Although coffee cultivation techniques are still developing, they are advancing rapidly compared to other regions. Farmers do not need to hire temporary or full-time workers but instead rely on family members to pick the coffee. This allows for better quality control, and processing stations often pay extra for perfectly ripe red cherries, greatly motivating the farmers.

Coffee Variety

Heirloom: Most Ethiopian varieties are labeled as Heirloom. This is largely because Ethiopia has an overwhelming number of varieties—it’s like a natural gene bank of Arabica. On one hand, the vast diversity and difficulty in classification make it challenging to identify them, and on the other hand, the Ethiopian government prefers to protect this information and thus refers to them collectively as "Heirloom."

 Processing Method

During the harvest season, West Arsi farmers only pick ripe red cherries, placing them one by one into baskets. The harvested cherries are uniform in size, similar in ripeness, and free from impurities.

 The first step in processing involves manually sorting out defective beans as well as unripe or overripe cherries.

The red cherries are then spread out on elevated wooden frames or full pergolas for sun drying, reducing the risk of absorbing ground odors. During sun drying, the cherries are frequently turned to ensure even drying and moisture loss. Every three to five days, farmers manually remove defective or moldy beans.

Once the skins harden and dry, a hulling machine removes the hardened husks. After obtaining the green coffee beans, farmers perform a final round of sorting to achieve the best flavor profile. This ensures that the Natural Arsi from Front Street Coffee can reach the highest grade of G1.

Cupping Flavor Description

West Arsi and the Cup of Excellence

The first Ethiopian Cup of Excellence (COE) in 2020 has just concluded, with 28 winning lots of green coffee. Nine of these came from West Arsi, ranking 4th, 6th, 9th, 10th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, and 28th.

Front Street Coffee participated in the auction for the 22nd-place coffee. The winning farmer, Adem Baneta Sulte, is a 60-year-old veteran who has quietly farmed his whole life. He hails from Refisa Kebele, Nensebo Woreda, West ARSI (West ARIS), Oromia State. He currently has 28 children, including 12 girls. Before participating in COE, he grew coffee on his 6-hectare farm, producing 4500 kg of coffee annually, which he sold to local processing stations for income.

When he heard that his coffee had won 22nd place with a score of 87.64, he was overjoyed. Adem said: "I grew up on a coffee farm and have worked hard my whole life. Now I feel I’ve finally been rewarded. I’ve never been part of the export market because I never had the chance. This competition might introduce me to the global market. It’s a huge hope for me and my family."

 The coffee from West Arsi has shined brightly through the COE platform, showcasing the region’s unique flavors.