What does Konga coffee from Yirgacheffe taste like?
Konga is a cooperative in Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region, part of the YCFCU union, with 24 Coffee Review scores above 90 and a high of 94 in 2017. Its washed lots show a honey pomelo tea character over a bright, clean cup. Compared with nearby Sidamo, Yirgacheffe coffees tend to be more floral and citric, which helps when choosing between the two.
Konga Cooperative was founded in 1994, covers about 1,556 smallholder families, and sits at roughly 1,800 to 2,000 meters. Its red soil is high in iron with a layer around 1.5 meters deep, supporting chlorophyll production and photosynthesis. Those conditions, plus mixed Typica and local heirloom varieties, shape the flavor across Ethiopia's coffee producing regions.
Konga Cooperative is a coffee production organization that has attracted much attention in the Yirgacheffe region in recent years. It has as many as 24 cupping scores above 90 on Coffee Review, and in 2017 it even received a high score of 94. This article introduces this cooperative under YCFCU, its advantages of red soil cultivation, its washed processing flow, and the charming flavor like honey pomelo tea in its washed lots. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also sorts out the flavor differences between Yirgacheffe and Sidamo for you, helping you better choose and taste.
Flavor Characteristics of Ethiopian Coffee Producing Regions_Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Specialty Coffee
Konga (also often translated as "Konga")
is actually a cooperative within Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe producing region (Konga Cooperative)
Konga Cooperative's coffee beans have been a rising star in recent years
If you type Konga on the Coffee Review website
the search results show as many as 24 entries with cupping scores above 90!
This year (2017), it even received a high score of 94
This time, let Little Coffee introduce this amazing cooperative properly
Konga Cooperative (Konga Coop) is one of the 26 cooperatives under The Yirgacheffe Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union (YCFCU) (the familiar Gedeb Cooperative is also one of them)
YCFCU was established in June 2002. All 26 cooperatives are located in the Gedeo region of southern Ethiopia. It is a very famous and important coffee producing region in Ethiopia, and today it represents more than 50,000 coffee farmers, that is, more than 300,000 families!
Konga Cooperative was established in 1994. Because it is adjacent to the Konga River basin, it used Konga as the cooperative's name. Konga Cooperative covers 1,556 smallholder coffee farming families. The average coffee farming area of these smallholders is less than 1.25 hectares, and the growing altitude is about 1,800 to 2,000 meters. The coffee varieties are mainly a mix of Typica and local heirloom varieties.
What makes Konga special is the red soil where the coffee beans are grown. The red soil is rich in high iron, and the red soil layer reaches 1.5 m. Deep soil has relatively abundant nutrients, and high iron content is also very beneficial for coffee beans, because iron is a micronutrient that helps plants produce chlorophyll, and this is very helpful for photosynthesis, allowing plants to absorb more energy and making the resulting fruit better. Red soil is undoubtedly one of the keys to Konga Cooperative producing delicious coffee beans.
Konga Cooperative has its own washed processing station, and the washed processing is quite meticulous. Fresh ripe coffee cherries are first depulped by a depulper to remove the skin, while the mucilage and parchment layer are removed during fermentation. After the fermentation process is completed, they are washed with clean spring water to remove the fermented mucilage layer. In Konga, parchment beans are placed on shaded raised beds for 10 to 12 days of drying, allowing the moisture to drop to 12%. After that, the beans are moved to a warehouse for grading and packaging, then sold to exporters, who then sell them to the international coffee market.
In addition to the typical Yirgacheffe fruit profile, the washed lots we have cupped several times all have a very pleasant honey pomelo tea flavor! The acidity is just right, with a little lime aroma, paired with blueberry sweetness. This sweet-and-sour taste is exactly Konga's charm.
Moreover, the mouthfeel is clean, and it is also easy to brew a flavor you like with an American coffee maker. Some lots can even be traced to specific smallholders, allowing you to taste Konga's different charms.
Introduction to the Flavor Differences and Mouthfeel of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Sidamo Coffee Beans
Front Street Coffee recommendation: For Konga Cooperative washed lots, when pouring over, it is recommended to use medium-fine grinding, a water temperature of 90-92°C, and a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, which can better showcase its layers of honey pomelo tea and blueberry.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
