How should Huakui coffee beans be roasted for SOE latte?
Ethiopian Huakui is a naturally processed single-origin coffee from Guji Hambela, named after a 2017 TOH competition win. Grown at 2,250 to 2,350 meters and graded G1, it is dried on African raised beds with low-temperature fermentation, giving layered floral aromas, red wine and tropical fruit notes. Roast level decides how it performs.
A light-medium roast keeps the elegant florals and citrus acidity, suiting hand brewing and other atmospheric pressure methods. A medium roast builds body and works for an SOE latte, SOE americano or moka pot coffee. Harvest lot names such as Buku Able refer to the processing station, and strict fruit-layer thickness plus 24-hour turning shape the final cup.
Every year, the new-crop Ethiopian Huakui captures the attention of countless coffee lovers. This naturally processed specialty coffee from the Guji Hambela region earned its name thanks to the 2017 TOH championship honor, and has now become a star among single-origin coffees. This season's Front Street Huakui continues the African raised-bed drying process, with careful fermentation at low temperatures, presenting layers of floral aromas, red wine, and tropical fruit. Depending on the roast level, a light-medium roast preserves elegant floral notes and citrus acidity, making it suitable for hand brewing and other atmospheric pressure extraction methods; a medium roast enhances body and can be used for SOE and moka pot coffee. This article will comprehensively cover Huakui's origin background, variety characteristics, processing method, and flavor performance, giving you an in-depth understanding of this bean's unique charm.
Ethiopian Hambella Natural
Front Street. Ethiopian Huakui
Ethiopian Natural
Coffee producing country: Africa, Ethiopia,
Processing station: Guji, Hambella, buku able
Coffee variety: Heirloom (local Ethiopian native species)
Production altitude: 2250-2350M
Quality grade: G1
Processing method: Natural sun-dried (African raised beds)
What is the origin of the name Huakui?
In 2017, the Ethiopian DW green bean company submitted its coffee lots to the TOH (the Taste Of Harvest) competition held by the African Coffee Association, and one natural lot outperformed the rest, taking the championship in the Ethiopian division. It was this championship lot that was given the name "Huakui."
Huakui comes from Hambella, which is located in Guji (GUJI), Ethiopia's largest coffee-producing region, and administratively belongs to Oromia State. To the west, Hambella faces the kochore region of Yirgacheffe across the mountains, while to the southeast and north it borders the Guji sub-regions of shakiso, Uraga, and Kercha respectively, making it the highest-altitude coffee sub-region in Ethiopia (while Harrar is Ethiopia's highest-altitude main producing region).
Front Street's new-crop Huakui coffee still uses the traditional African raised-bed drying method, strictly limiting the thickness of the fruit layer and maintaining continuous定时 turning every 24 hours, using the processing station's superior natural conditions for low-temperature fermentation. This year's Huakui has rich and alluring floral aromas, mellow red wine and tropical fruit notes, while also adding a more translucent juice-like sweet acidity.
The variety is a local native species, belonging to the small-bean type, with a relatively round appearance and a smaller bean size, mostly between 14-15 screen sizes, slightly smaller than Longberry, with a color that is green with a yellow tinge. The difference in bean size is fairly noticeable.
Because Huakui itself carries abundant floral and fruity aromas, two roast profiles are usually used: light-medium roast and medium roast. Light-medium roasting preserves elegant floral notes and bright citrus acidity to a greater extent, making Front Street Huakui's mouthfeel lighter and suitable for hand brewing, drip bags, smart cups, siphon, and other atmospheric pressure extraction methods:
It smells of distinct muskmelon aroma and strawberry jam; on the palate there is a soft jackfruit-like acidity, and in the middle the berry flavor of strawberry gradually emerges, along with some sucrose sweetness in the finish, giving it fairly rich layers.
Medium roasting, however, produces more caramelization substances, enhancing the body of Front Street Huakui coffee while retaining a certain tropical fruit flavor, and it can be used to make Huakui SOE and Huakui moka pot coffee:
As Front Street Huakui SOE Americano, it has the refreshing sweet acidity of citrus and berries, along with the charm of black tea; overall bitterness is low, the body is soft, yet it does not lack flavor. As Front Street Huakui SOE Latte, it has the aroma of mango milk candy and orange, with a smooth mouthfeel and delicate sweetness, making it very suitable for those who are afraid of bitterness.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
