Ethiopia, located in the horn of Africa, stands out among other things for its coffee cultivation. Each year an estimated production of between 200 and 250 thousand tons of coffee is produced, a large part of which is exported, fought over by large multinationals, while another part remains in the country, where coffee consumption is deeply rooted among the population.

Many attribute the origin of coffee to this country, in fact there is talk of the story of Pastor Kaldi. This story tells how Kaldi, a humble shepherd from Ethiopia, discovers coffee when he sees his goats attracted by the fruits of a bush that was unknown to him. Kaldi decided to give the fruits of this shrub to his goats to taste and observed how they felt more energetic. The monks of his village made a concoction with these grains, however it did not taste very good, so they decided to throw it into the fire, at that moment the roasted grains gave such a pleasant smell that the monks tasted the concoction again once the grains had been roasted, thus giving rise to this drink.

True or not, what is certain is that Ethiopia produces one of the best and most authentic coffees. As with other coffees, Ethiopian coffee has different classifications, depending on the bean, the type of cultivation, or if a dry process is used or not.

In general terms there are three main varieties of coffee: robusta variety, arabica and robusta variety, and arabica variety. The main variety produced in Ethiopia is the Arabica variety. It is considered that the best coffee is produced in the highlands of the country. One type of arabica coffee comes from Yirgacheffe, this coffee is cultivated in lands at an altitude of 2000 meters, with an appropriate degree of humidity both in its cultivation and in its treatment process.

Yirgacheffe and Gedeo are regions in the south of the country that together produce a third of the country’s production. These are large figures on which a large part of the country’s population depends, given that this area employs around 80% of the country’s population.

These coffees cultivated at high altitudes are characterized by their high acidity. There are also coffees with little caffeine, others that are sweeter or have intense aromas.

However, it is a product that suffers from difficult commercialization conditions, especially due to the pressure exerted by large multinationals.

Although, without a doubt it is one of the best coffees to take to the table, with a history in its cultivation, and with a long history in its country; let us not forget that Ethiopia was the only African country that was not colonized, for which reason it still keeps its culture intact.