How Does Djimma Fit Into Global Coffee Exports From Ethiopia?

Djimma is an Ethiopian coffee region in the Illubabor and Kaffa areas, growing local heirloom varieties between 1,340 and 1,830 meters. Beans are processed naturally, sun-dried in the traditional way, and known for bright acidity with floral and fruity aromas. The area also accounts for nearly half of Ethiopia's coffee exports, roughly 60,000 tons a year, mostly from smallholder farms.

Ethiopia is widely recognized as the country where coffee originated, and it still holds a major place in global coffee exports alongside regions such as Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Kochere, and Harar. The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority sets the price at which factories buy from farms, a system left over from nationalization. For brewing, a light roast and pour-over method suit Djimma's delicate aromatics.

Djimma is one of Ethiopia's important coffee-producing regions, and its naturally processed beans are known for bright acidity and rich floral and fruity aromas. This article will guide you through the growing environment of the Djimma region, the traditional natural processing method, the characteristics of the green bean variety, and the specific parameters for light roasting and pour-over brewing. It also includes Front Street Coffee's brewing suggestions to help coffee lovers gain a comprehensive understanding of this heirloom coffee from the birthplace of coffee.

[Ethiopia Djimma]

Country: Ethiopia

Region: Djimma Djimma

Altitude: 1800m

Processing method: Natural

Variety: Local heirloom

01 | Region Introduction

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. Legend has it that in the forests of the western region, an unnamed shepherd accidentally noticed the red fruit that would later sweep the world—coffee—thus opening the curtain on a millennium of coffee trade. To this day, Ethiopia still holds a pivotal position in global coffee exports, with its main producing regions including Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, Kochere, Harar, and Djimma.

Djimma coffee is grown in the Illubabor and Kaffa areas of Ethiopia, distributed across altitudes ranging from 1,340 to 1,830 meters, with an annual production and export volume of approximately 60,000 tons. This bean is also known as Jimma Coffee.

Djimma coffee typically grows at altitudes between 1,340 and 1,830 meters. This altitude provides suitable climatic conditions for coffee, while the shade of forest trees protects the coffee plants from direct midday sun and helps the soil retain moisture more effectively.

The town of Djimma itself is not large, but Djimma coffee accounts for nearly half of Ethiopia's total coffee exports—a considerable share.

Coffee cultivation around Djimma is almost entirely carried out by smallholder farmers. Local practices follow traditional methods for growing coffee, and natural sun-drying is used for processing. The Ethiopian government, through the Coffee and Tea Authority, is specifically responsible for matters including setting the price at which factories purchase coffee from farms. This is actually an institution left over from nationalization policies, when the plan converted all coffee processing factories nationwide into farmer cooperatives. Today, all coffee production in Ethiopia, whether cultivation or processing, must obtain strict approval from the Coffee and Tea Authority.

02 | Processing Method Introduction

The natural method is said to be the oldest processing method, and also the simplest to perform and the least dependent on equipment.

1. First, pour the coffee cherries into water and use buoyancy to screen out floating beans—cherries that are defective or unripe will naturally float, while those that sink are plump and of better quality. At the same time, this step simply washes away dirt on the surface of the cherries and removes leaves and twigs to prevent mold or off-flavors during drying. Choose a flat open area that receives sunlight easily;

2. Spread the coffee cherries out, trying not to overlap them or pile them too densely, otherwise bacteria can easily breed and cause mold. Stir them multiple times every day, and adjust the drying time according to the weather. Generally, it takes two to three weeks. The accurate standard for judging completion is: peel back the pulp and check that the coffee beans' moisture content has dropped below 12%. When stirring, remember to pick out fallen leaves and insects to avoid defects such as insect-damaged beans being mixed in. At this point, the coffee beans usually appear dark red;

3. Remove the dried skin and pulp, then store with the parchment layer for resting, which takes about one month for the flavor to become fuller and more settled. Modern methods mostly use machines instead of manual work, but some less developed areas and smallholders still use blunt objects to knock off the skin. It is recommended to use machine removal, as it reduces damage to the integrity of the coffee beans. Resting should take place in a dry place away from sunlight.

03 | Green Bean Analysis

Arabica coffee originated in Ethiopia in Africa, and to this day the country still contains hundreds of species and thousands of varieties of wild coffee, some of which have grown in primary forests for years. Countless locally evolved hybrids, mutations, and crossbreeds form a vast library of native varieties. These local mixed varieties are called Arabica's gene pool, and the heirloom varieties produced in Ethiopia are called Heirloom.

Ethiopia has recorded nearly 2,000 coffee varieties, of which 1,927 are native varieties and 128 are introduced foreign varieties. So judging by appearance alone, Ethiopian coffee varieties are like a "grand garden"—long, short, thin, plump, there is everything you could imagine...

04 | Roasting Analysis

A bean with such a brilliant flavor profile is naturally not suited to medium-dark roasting, so this coffee is planned for a light, slow roast, which best showcases its round sweetness and rich floral and fruity aromas.

This coffee has relatively small beans and a high moisture content, absorbs a relatively large amount of heat during roasting, and undergoes the Maillard reaction at a relatively fast rate.

When the drum temperature rises to 200°C, charge the beans, set the air vent to 3, and after 1 minute adjust the heat to 160°C while keeping the air vent unchanged; at 154°C adjust the heat again, lowering it to 130°C, and open the air vent to 4; roast until 5 minutes 30 seconds, when the bean surface turns yellow, the grassy smell completely disappears, and dehydration is complete, adjust the heat to 100°C and maintain the air vent at 4;

At 7 minutes 50 seconds, ugly wrinkles and dark streaks appear on the bean surface, and the toasted bread smell clearly turns into coffee aroma, which can be regarded as the prelude to first crack. At this point, listen carefully for the sound of first crack. At 8 minutes 40 seconds, first crack begins. Reduce the heat to 50°C and fully open the air vent (adjust the heat very carefully—do not reduce it so much that there is no crackling sound), and drop the beans at 190.4°C.

Although this bean is naturally processed, it has bright acidity. The dry aroma has jasmine florals mixed with a slight roasted peanut note; the wet aroma has a rich fermented wine fragrance; on the palate there is the acidity of lime, lemon, citrus, and starfruit, with berry sweetness emerging in the middle and some grapefruit peel and black tea notes in the finish.

05 | Brewing Analysis

Recommended brewing method: Pour-over

Grind size: 3.5 (Japanese Fuji R440)

V60 dripper, 15g coffee, water temperature 90°C, grind size 3.5, water-to-coffee ratio close to 1:15

Bloom with 30g water, bloom time 30s

Stages: pour to 130g and pause, then slowly pour to 225g

That is 30-130-225

It smells of cherry tomatoes with a slight fermented wine aroma; on the palate there are notes of lime, citrus, and grapefruit peel.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.