Why the Coffee Farm Behind Guji Uraga Hero Matters
The Hero bean from the Uraga processing station in Ethiopia's Guji region won the washed group at the 2019 Ethiopia TOH competition. Grown at 2,150 meters as a native Heirloom variety, it is washed and medium roasted, with jasmine, bergamot, lemon, apricot, and honey notes and 88 points from Coffee Review.
Ethiopian coffee often grows wild or semi-wild on small coffee farm plots and in courtyards, so lots are labeled Heirloom rather than a single named variety. More than 3,000 varieties grow within the country, and those from Yirgacheffe carry especially rich aroma. For this bean, use 90°C water at a 1:15 ratio and finish the pour-over within two minutes.
The 2019 Ethiopia TOH green bean competition washed group crown went to a bean named "Hero" from the Uraga processing station in the Guji region. It has a captivating flavor interwoven with jasmine, bergamot, lemon, apricot, and honey, received 88 points from Coffee Review, is grown at an altitude of up to 2150 meters, and is washed-processed and medium-roasted. This article will guide you through the champion bean's origin background, the unique characteristics of Ethiopia's native Heirloom variety, the significance of the TOH competition, and includes Front Street Coffee's recommended pour-over parameters—90°C water temperature, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and extraction completed within two minutes—so you can recreate this bright floral aroma of the African highlands at home.
Today's star is a bean named "Hero," which won the washed group championship in the TOH competition and comes from the Uraga processing station in Ethiopia's Guji region.
Ethiopia Hero Washed
Country: Ethiopia
Region: Uraga Processing Station, Guji Region
Variety: Heirloom native variety
Altitude: 2150m
Process: Washed
Roast Level: Medium Roast
Coffee Review: 88 points
Brewing Suggestion: 90°C hot water, 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, finish extraction within 2 minutes
Overall Flavor: Jasmine, Bergamot, Lemon, Apricot, Honey
Native Variety Heirloom
Typically, coffee farmers may cultivate several varieties at the same time, or they may select the more outstanding ones to sell separately. Ethiopia's situation is rather special—most local coffee grows in a wild or semi-wild state, scattered across farmlands, courtyards, and even the forest floor. When farmers harvest, it is actually a mix of many natural mutations, so Ethiopian beans are often labeled as "native variety, heirloom (Heirloom)."
There are over 3,000 coffee varieties growing within Ethiopia alone, and people often select several of them for cultivation. As for Ethiopia's native coffee trees, due to the considerable complexity of their tree shapes and leaf appearances, it is very difficult to distinguish them one by one. Beans from the Yirgacheffe area have a uniquely rich aroma and are regarded as the highest-grade coffee among Ethiopian native varieties. Ethiopian native variety beans are not uniform in size, and their aromas differ by region, such as Sidamo, Harrar, Jimma, Limu, Teppi, and Kaffa.
The African Fine Coffees Association (AFCA), formerly the East African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA), holds a green bean competition called Taste of Harvest. Participating producing countries include Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Congo, and Uganda. In terms of competition format, each country first holds a national selection (the National stage), and then each country sends its top three winning samples to the AFCA annual conference for an international final evaluation, called the Regional.
The goal of this well-known competition is to select the finest origin coffees from the entire coffee industry chain, "from seed to cup." After the TOH competition ends, an online auction platform operated by a green bean auction company displays and promotes coffees with origin characteristics, thereby completing auction transactions.
The 2019 Ethiopia TOH washed group champion came precisely from Uraga, a region full of potential. Guji beans are also a typical Ethiopian local native variety, so if you see beans of uneven size, there is no need to be surprised. Ethiopian native varieties are numerous, with beans large and small, and it is precisely this diversity that creates their unique and rich flavor expression.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
