Is geisha coffe the same variety as Huakui?

Huakui and geisha coffe are not the same variety. Huakui is a local Ethiopian heirloom from the Buku Abel processing station in Hambela, Sidama, and it is naturally processed. Geisha is a distinct variety that rose to fame through Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. The confusion comes from language, not botany.

In Japanese, geisha is read as Geisha or Gesha, and Huakui can also carry the meaning of geisha, so the two terms were wrongly merged. Huakui earned its name by winning the natural group at the 2017 TOH competition. Because their flavors and structures differ, the two beans need separate grind, ratio, and pour settings.

Are Huakui and Geisha actually the same kind of coffee? This question once sparked quite a bit of debate in the coffee community. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article systematically sorts out the fundamental differences between Huakui and Geisha in terms of variety origin, naming story, and flavor characteristics, and also includes Front Street Coffee baristas' brewing parameter suggestions for these two beans. After reading, you will clearly understand: Huakui is a local Ethiopian heirloom variety, while Geisha is an independent variety; Huakui got its name from the legendary experience of winning the 2017 TOH natural group championship, while Geisha's fame came from its discovery and promotion by Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. The two have their own distinctive flavors and also need to be treated differently when brewed.

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For a while, a topic sparked heated discussion among coffee lovers: what exactly is the connection between Huakui coffee and Geisha coffee? Can Huakui coffee be equated with Geisha coffee?

This kind of question arose because an internet celebrity confused the concepts during an explanation. The term Huakui originally means "chief of a hundred flowers," and in Japanese it also has the meaning of "geisha," while geisha in Japanese is read as Geisha (or Gesha), which happens to be exactly the same spelling as Geisha in English, hence the saying that "Huakui is Geisha."

Front Street Coffee has previously written several articles introducing Geisha and Huakui. In fact, these two coffee beans are not the same variety at all. Huakui coffee beans come from the Buku Abel processing station in the Hambela sub-region of the Sidama region in Ethiopia and are natural-process coffee beans; while what we usually call Geisha specifically refers to a coffee variety.

Although Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) has a long bean list and a rich variety of categories, the information for every coffee bean is clearly labeled. When customers shop at Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), the surface of the packaging bag is affixed with detailed information about the coffee beans, including origin, growing altitude, variety, processing method, and flavor description.

(Huakui and Geisha)

Coffee bean variety

The outer packaging of Huakui coffee beans clearly indicates that its variety is a local heirloom. Some friends may be unfamiliar with the term "local heirloom." Huakui's place of origin, Ethiopia, is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee, and its coffee varieties are extremely numerous. In addition, Ethiopia's economic conditions are limited, and it does not have enough funds to conduct large-scale identification of coffee varieties. At the same time, in order to protect its native coffee tree resources, the Ethiopian government is also unwilling to disclose relevant information. These varieties that cannot be traced are collectively referred to as "local heirlooms."

Now let's look at Geisha coffee. The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest in Ethiopia in the 1930s and was subsequently sent to the Kenya Coffee Research Institute. In 1936, it was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania; in 1953 it traveled across the ocean to Costa Rica in Central America and was assigned the number "T2722." At that time, coffee leaf rust was raging in Central America, and Geisha was introduced to Panama for planting because it was believed to be resistant to leaf rust.

In other words, Huakui coffee and Geisha coffee are two completely different varieties. Huakui's variety is a local Ethiopian heirloom, while Geisha's variety is Geisha itself.

Why is Huakui coffee called Huakui?

People familiar with coffee bean naming rules can easily see that coffee beans are usually named after their place of origin. Huakui coffee beans are produced in the Hambela sub-region of Sidama, so why is it called Huakui instead of Hambela?

This goes back to the rise of Huakui. In 2017, Ethiopian green bean company DW sent natural-process coffee beans produced in Buku Abel, Hambela, to participate in the TOH green bean competition. Its rich berry and cream flavor conquered the judges and won the championship in the natural group of the Ethiopian TOH competition that year.

In the same year, Beijing green bean company Hongshun introduced the same batch of coffee beans to the Chinese market. Because Huakui's flavor was truly outstanding, and with only slight adjustments in post-processing of the green beans it had the potential to replace Geisha, it was highly anticipated and named "Huakui." That year, Geisha coffee beans were all the rage on the stage of the World Coffee Brewing Championship China region. Contestant Li Jianfei won second place in the brewing competition with Huakui coffee beans from the same batch as the 2017 TOH natural champion, making Huakui coffee beans shine brilliantly and also breaking Geisha's myth.

Careful friends will notice that Front Street's bean shelf displays two kinds of Huakui coffee beans: "Huakui" and "Huakui 5.0." Huakui 5.0 belongs to the "Huakui X.0" series. In 2018 it was Huakui 2.0, in 2019 it was Huakui 3.0, in 2020 it was Huakui 4.0, and in the 2021 production season it is naturally Huakui 5.0. The 2022 production season has arrived, and the new batch of Huakui coffee beans will be named Huakui 6.0. Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) has already reserved the batch at the first opportunity and expects it to arrive at port in April. Friends who like Huakui please pay close attention to Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee).

Another one labeled "Huakui" is small-bean Huakui. Front Street once found some smaller beans in the Huakui coffee beans of 2018 and 2019, and later cupping revealed that these small-bean Huakui beans were precisely the source of Huakui coffee's aroma.

Flavor characteristics of Huakui coffee

Huakui coffee has captured the hearts of many coffee connoisseurs with its rich berry and cream flavor, and such an outstanding flavor is inseparable from its growing environment and processing method. Huakui coffee beans are produced in Hambela of the Guji region, and only natural-process coffee produced and processed by Buku Abel estate can be called "Huakui," so Buku Abel estate is also known as "Huakui Estate." The area where Huakui is grown is surrounded by sugarcane and bananas. Under high-altitude climate conditions, this creates Huakui coffee's smooth mouthfeel, with berry acidity and the fermented wine aroma brought by natural processing.

Huakui's flavor changes somewhat every year, mainly because coffee is an agricultural product, and it is impossible to grow exactly the same flavor every year. Agricultural products are highly susceptible to uncertain factors such as climate and rainfall. Therefore, it is very normal for coffee bean flavors to differ from year to year.

Small-bean Huakui and Huakui 5.0 on Front Street's bean shelf also differ slightly. Small-bean Huakui is closer to the strawberry and cream flavor of that year's TOH natural group champion; while Huakui 5.0 leans more toward flavor descriptions such as berries, floral notes, and tea-like character from the Guji region.

Flavor characteristics of Geisha coffee

After Geisha coffee became famous, coffee-producing regions around the world rushed to grow it. But when people mention Geisha flavor, they generally mean Panama Geisha. Because Geisha coffee trees have fragile branches and low yields, they were not favored by coffee farmers at first. It was not until it won the championship at the 2004 BOP competition and broke the auction record that people recognized Geisha coffee's strength.

Hacienda La Esmeralda can be said to have done its utmost in this matter, being both the discoverer of Geisha coffee and the promoter of Geisha flavor. Front Street's bean shelf carries Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label, Green Label, and Volcan Azul, allowing everyone to gradually become familiar with Geisha flavor. The citrus notes, jasmine aroma, and honey sweetness in the typical Geisha coffee flavor make coffee novices trying Geisha for the first time feel as if they have instantly entered heaven.

Brewing suggestions from Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)

Because Huakui coffee and Geisha coffee need to highlight their high-quality acidity and rich aroma, Front Street's roaster uses a medium-light roast. Front Street baristas use a slightly finer grind when brewing these two coffee beans to increase the contact area between coffee particles and water; a higher water temperature can speed up the rate at which coffee substances dissolve in water.

Dripper: Hario V60

Water temperature: 91°C

Coffee dose: 15 grams

Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15

Grind size: 80% passing through a Chinese standard No. 20 sieve

Pour 30 grams of hot water to completely wet the coffee grounds and let them bloom for 30 seconds, then pour from the center in a thin stream and slowly circle to 125 grams for the first pour. When the water level in the dripper drops to just about to expose the coffee bed, continue circling and pouring to 225 grams. The total extraction time is about 2 minutes.

Front Street has received questions from some friends: why do the coffee grounds not puff up during blooming? Blooming is intended to let carbon dioxide escape from the coffee grounds, making the later pouring and extraction more stable. After coffee beans are roasted, a large amount of carbon dioxide gas accumulates inside the beans. As the gas is released, the flavor also tends to stabilize. The coffee beans shipped by Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) are roasted within 5 days, and by the time they reach customers, they have already gone through a 4 to 7 day resting period, so the flavor is at its best.

Some friends do not have equipment at home to grind coffee beans, so they usually leave a note requesting pre-ground coffee. Here Front Street needs to remind everyone that after coffee beans are ground into powder, the rate of gas release accelerates, flavor compounds volatilize easily, and the optimal tasting period is greatly shortened. Therefore, Front Street recommends buying whole beans and grinding fresh right before brewing.

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