When selecting Ethiopian coffee beans, many people notice that the variety column almost always says "Heirloom/native species," and Front Street and other vendors are no exception. Why doesn't Ethiopian coffee label specific varieties like other producing countries? Is Heirloom actually Arabica? What does it have to do with the flavors of Huakui and Yirgacheffe? From the perspective of Front Street, this article first explains the definition and origin of Heirloom, then explains the practical reasons why it is difficult to subdivide varieties in Ethiopia, including the vast coffee gene pool, the model of wild harvesting and smallholder farming, and the convention of mixed purchasing at processing plants. Finally, it will also mention that Ethiopia does not only have Heirloom, and uses Huakui and Gudingding from the Front Street bean list as examples to let you experience the classic flavors of Guji and Yirgacheffe. [more…]

周末午后，阳光斜斜地落进店里，朋友推门进来，说要找一支能让他记住的咖啡。我顺手从架子上取下几支埃塞俄比亚的豆子，告诉他，若论咖啡的老家，还得回到东非那片高地。全世界咱们喝到的阿拉比卡，根子几乎都扎在那 [more…]

拆开一袋新豆时，香气飘出来的瞬间我总有点恍惚。埃塞俄比亚作为咖啡的发源地，上千种原生品种散落在高原与森林里，没有哪两个村庄的豆子长得一模一样。我想读懂这个产区，就得顺着它的风味光谱一支支喝过去，从耶加 [more…]

你端起一杯耶加雪菲，闻到的茉莉花香其实踩着一整片高原的肩膀。埃塞这地方，咖啡不是种出来的，是从林子里长出来的。卡尔迪放羊与卡法野生咖啡林故事老掉牙了，但还得讲——卡尔迪放羊那会儿，羊群啃了红果子开始蹦 [more…]

Yirgacheffe, as a representative producing region of Ethiopian specialty coffee, is world-renowned for its floral and citrus notes. This article focuses on a Yirgacheffe from Front Street Coffee's Worka Cooperative that uses a non-traditional processing method—neither the ancient natural process nor the traditional washed process, but rather anaerobic natural processing. The article will outline the Worka Cooperative's geographical location, founding background, and organic certification status, explain why Heirloom native varieties have become the collective term for Ethiopian varieties, and detail how the specific steps of anaerobic fermentation give the coffee its strawberry, magnolia, and small Taiwan mango flavor profile, bringing you a comprehensive understanding of what makes this bean unique. [more…]

Ethiopia, as the birthplace of coffee, is home to tens of thousands of native varieties that have not been fully identified, making it a holy land in the hearts of specialty coffee enthusiasts. Among them, the Yirgacheffe region stands as its own category thanks to its bright citric acidity, citrus notes, and jasmine aroma, and is protected by the EXC trademark. The Red Cherry Project, launched in 2007 by the Dutch green bean trader Trabocca, encourages coffee farmers to improve quality by purchasing 100% hand-picked ripe red cherries at high prices, and mainly covers areas such as Yirgacheffe and Sidamo. Front Street Coffee's Yirgacheffe Natural Red Cherry coffee beans use native heirloom varieties and natural processing; after a light roast, brewed with a V60 at 1:15 and 92°C, they present berry, lemon, fermented fruit, and strawberry flavors, with a refreshing mouthfeel—well worth a try. [more…]

周末午后，阳光斜斜地落进吧台，朋友推门进来想挑一支带花香的豆子。我顺手从架子上取下样品壶，往她面前推了推——耶加雪菲，念起来像一句轻快的咒语。新手端起这杯，白色花香会先从鼻尖漫上来，接着是柑橘似的明亮 [more…]

你端着杯子凑近闻，明明袋子上写着茉莉、写着橙花，喝下去却像隔了层纱——这事我太熟了。柜台前每天都有人这么问我，花香到底去哪儿了？我通常先回一句：做法和豆子状态，两头漏一头，花香就立不起来。不是豆子在跟 [more…]

想喝柑橘调，又怕酸到眯眼——这话我每周在吧台至少听三遍。其实柑橘味本身不是一张罚单，它更像一个大家族，有的成员张扬，有的成员温吞。你怕酸，我们就从温吞的那头开始认识。有机酸和萜烯类物质生柑橘咖啡里的柑 [more…]

厨房台面上摊着两包豆子，我对着标签看了半天，同一个庄园的瑰夏居然分两种颜色标贴，一时真拿不准该拆哪一包。后来自己翻资料、做功课，才慢慢摸清门道：红标是庄园里筛选更严的批次，风味集中度更高；绿标相对日常 [more…]

头一回闻到咖啡里的茉莉香，是在一个加班的晚上。客人端着杯子凑过来，眼睛瞪得很大：你们这杯是不是加了什么？我笑着摇头，让她再试一口——那股香气从热雾里头浮起来，像雨后窗台上的白兰花，根本不是后天添进去的 [more…]

你头一回喝到像莓果果汁的咖啡，大概会愣一下——咖啡不是苦的吗？我当年在吧台后面给客人递上一杯浅烘的肯尼亚，对方凑近闻完抬头问我：这是加了草莓酱？其实不是，莓果味是咖啡自己长出来的，品种和处理法说了算， [more…]

你喝到过那种闷在舌根、像果酱糊住的莓果吗？我店里常有人举着杯子问我：明明写着草莓蓝莓，怎么冲出来又苦又浊。答案很直接——莓果这股酸香，冲得透亮像果汁，一过界就发闷发苦。浅烘豆里那些活泼的有机酸，是娇气 [more…]

你端起一杯坦桑尼亚，喝到的其实是半部东非殖民史与一部小农户的生存智慧。这个国家的咖啡版图像一条斜贯南北的走廊，北起赤道雪山，南至马拉维湖畔，中间夹着维多利亚湖的湿润水汽。我店里常年备着一支前街乞力马扎 [more…]

周末午后，阳光斜斜地落进店里，朋友推门进来，说想喝点带劲的。我端上一杯肯尼亚，看她抿完头一口，眉头先是一皱，随即又凑近闻了闻。那种酸不是直愣愣地扎人，是黑莓撞见葡萄柚，乌梅混着些深沉的核果，浓得化不开 [more…]

快递箱刚拆开，内袋还没剪，香气就先一步钻了出来——像剥开橘子皮时溅出的汁水，不是糖果那种甜，是果皮里藏着的清苦与明亮。这就是瑰夏，一支让我愿意认真做功课、反复冲煮的世界名豆。它名气大，靠的不是拍卖场上 [more…]

周末早晨阳光斜照进厨房，你拆开一包新豆子，想弄明白非洲和中美洲到底差在哪儿。我的习惯是同时摆两支壶，一支手冲、一支法压壶，对照着来。深烘豆喝起来像在猜被烟熏过的人是谁，焦糖、可可、烤坚果糊成一片；浅烘 [more…]

The 2021 new-crop Huakui 5.0 coffee beans arrived at port as scheduled, and Front Street Coffee completed roasting and cupping at the first opportunity, then compared them in brewing with the much-loved Small-Bean Huakui. This article provides a detailed analysis of the flavor differences between the two beans, pour-over parameters, traces the origin of the name Huakui and the natural processing method, reviews the flavor evolution of Huakui versions 2.0 through 5.0, and includes the complete roasting records of Front Street’s five Sidamo Huakui lots. Whether you want to understand the past and present of Huakui or are looking for a reliable brewing plan, this article offers thorough and practical reference. [more…]

周末下午朋友来家里坐，从包里掏出两包样子差不多的豆子问我怎么回事。我接过来一瞧，是同一支豆子的两个烘焙版本。她一脸困惑说名字就差几个字，喝起来却像两条路。我告诉她烘焙本质上是在做选择——把豆子里的某些 [more…]

你问我印尼咖啡怎么喝，我通常先反问一句：你要的是那碗草药汤，还是一杯干净的坚果奶咖？这俩都能在印尼找到，而且差别大到不像同一个国家产的。印尼群岛横跨赤道，火山、湖泊、雨林交错，从苏门答腊北端的亚齐到东 [more…]