Ethiopia is the cradle where coffee varieties boasting rich genetic diversity originated. The natural strains from Ethiopia spread to the Boma Plateau of South Sudan and the Masabit Forest in northern Kenya. By the 15th century, coffee beans from the Harar region arrived in Yemen.
The official name for the original Ethiopian coffee is Coffea Arabica L. Abyssinica Kaffa, a name inspired by Carl-Lineaus’s “L,” the French researcher who first studied Ethiopian coffee varieties.
Kim Tae-ho, Editor-in-chief of the coffee magazine Drip, emphasizes that aside from the Ethiopian original, the Heirloom variety closely resembles the Typica strain, but no direct lineage can be traced. The Typica variety, one among over 1000 different strains grown in Ethiopia’s wild forests, is the most commonly found throughout Ethiopia and Africa.
The strains currently cultivated in Ethiopia fall into two categories: indigenous varieties that have evolved naturally through generations and about 40 improved pressures from consistent research by JARC.
The foundation of this classification owes itself to the primary categorization by Italian botanist Spalleta and the secondary one by French scholar Silbang. Spalleta classified coffee varieties into four distinct types: the large-sized, dark green ‘Enaria’ found in Limu, the elongated ‘Araro’ or ‘Longberry Hara,’ and ‘Jegi,’ which began being planted by monks. There’s also a variety called ‘Genital,’ although its specific characteristics aren’t documented.
Silbang, on the other hand, distinguished coffee varieties into 12 categories, including the ‘Enaria’ resembling the Coffea Arabica L. Abyssinica, the primary wild strain ‘Kapa,’ the large-sized ‘Agaro,’ ‘Irugalem’ which sprouts only green buds in Sidamoan, ‘Dila’ from the capital of Gedeo with bronze buds, and ‘Abaguru’ growing red buds.
He further categorized them into ‘Hara’ with bronze buds and a yield of 33 lbs (15 kg) per tree, the smaller ‘Jegi,’ ‘Lulo’ with larger cherries but smaller seeds, the bitter ‘Olkité,’ and ‘Ollamo’ with a mix of bronze and green buds. In Silbang’s classification, just like Spalleta’s, there’s also a variety called ‘Ceeorecee,’ which lacks a detailed description.
◇ Kim Tae-ho, Editor-in-chief of the coffee magazine Drip, has been documenting coffee stories by exploring remote regions in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. In particular, he has delved into the harsh history of African coffee for the past 20 years. Based on his records, he launched the coffee magazine Drip in 2018.
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