How does Yirgacheffe fit into the Red Cherry Project?
The Red Cherry Project is a quality initiative launched in 2007 by Trabocca, a Netherlands-based green bean trader, to raise the standard of Ethiopian coffee from small farms. Only fully ripe red cherries are picked, and sorting is done entirely by hand, which shapes the flavor of the resulting green coffee beans.
Trabocca invites Ethiopian farms to produce small lots of roughly 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms, or 25 to 50 bags, before harvest. Female workers hand-sort to select 100 percent ripe cherries, a step that strongly affects final cup quality. The project covers regions including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Harar, and Limu, and uses washed, natural, and honey-style processing.
The Sidamo region of Ethiopia is renowned worldwide for its distinctive flavor expression. This article will guide you through the origins and workings of the Red Cherry Project, analyze the craft characteristics of the red honey processing method, and describe in detail the complete flavor layers—from aroma to finish—of this Sidamo red honey processed coffee bean recommended by Front Street Coffee. Whether you are a newcomer to specialty coffee or a seasoned enthusiast, you will gain a deeper understanding of Sidamo coffee.
Front Street Coffee—Yirgacheffe Red Honey Red Cherry Variety Analysis
What exactly is the "Red Cherry Project"?
The "Red Cherry Project" (ORC) is a dedicated initiative aimed at improving the quality of coffee from small farms. In 2007, Trabocca, the largest green bean trader in the Netherlands, officially launched and promoted this project in search of high-quality Ethiopian coffee beans.
The project sets strict requirements for the harvesting standards of green coffee beans—not only must fully ripe red cherries be selected, but the entire process must be completed by manual hand-sorting. However, this is merely the entry-level threshold; the overall vision of the project goes far beyond this. Its core goal is to incentivize coffee farmers while bringing quality surprises to roasters. Before the harvest season arrives, Trabocca sends invitations to farms across Ethiopia, asking them to specially produce small batches of about 1,500 to 3,000 kilograms (i.e., 25 to 50 bags) of coffee beans. During the picking stage, only female workers are considered capable of the sorting work; they must precisely select 100% ripe red cherries. This step has a significant impact on the final flavor expression of the coffee, which is why sharp-eyed, diligent, and hardworking Ethiopian women have become an indispensable backbone of the Red Cherry Project.
From another perspective, the Red Cherry Project is also a means of quality reinforcement, prompting farms to invest more effort in screening and sorting. Accordingly, the market prices of these coffees are also relatively high. Red Cherry actions cover various methods including washed, natural, semi-washed, semi-natural, and experimental processing, involving major producing regions such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Bonga Forest, Lekempti, Kembata, Illubabor, Harar, and Limu. In 2011, the Golocha site (located near Harar) also joined. These regions each have their own flavor characteristics, fully demonstrating the diversity of Ethiopian coffee. After receiving the coffee, Trabocca conducts a second screening, and through cupping quality tests by offices in both Ethiopia and the Netherlands, farms that meet the standards receive substantial bonuses. Trabocca reinvests all profits earned over the years back into partner farms, forming a virtuous cycle.
Processing Method
The processing method used for this coffee bean is red honey processing.
Honey processing, in simple terms, is a green bean processing method that retains the mucilage layer and directly sun-dries the beans. After the outer pulp of the coffee cherry is removed, a sticky, gelatinous substance remains on the surface. The traditional washed method uses large amounts of water to rinse it clean, but some high-altitude producing regions are limited by water resource conditions, so this direct drying method came into being.
The pectin mucilage layer is the part of the coffee fruit with the highest sugar concentration and is also the key to fermentation during processing. It can be said that this part plays about an 80% decisive role in supplying nutrients during processing. Yellow honey processing retains 60% of the pectin, red honey processing retains 75% of the pectin, and black honey processing removes almost no pectin.
Flavor Profile: The dry aroma stage carries a ginger flower-like fragrance; on the palate, it presents citrus, lemon, and fruit candy notes; the mid-palate reveals cedarwood aroma and honey-like sweetness; the finish carries oolong tea characteristics, with a creamy aftertaste that is long and persistent.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
