We know that Gesha coffee is delicious and famous, but do you know where the name Gesha coffee comes from? There are many names for coffee, some are named after the country and production area, and some are named after the manor. Geisha is the name of the coffee variety. Gesha refers to a coffee variety, called Geisha/Gesha in English. Because it happens to have the same name as the Japanese "Geisha" (Geisha), some people call the Gesha variety Geisha, and our Chinese transliterate it into Gesha based on the name Geisha.
GeshaGeisha coffee can be found everywhere, such as: Panama, Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, and even Yunnan, China. Are these coffees the same variety? Or are there any differences? Geisha coffee comes from Ethiopia and is famous in the Jade Manor in Panama. So what is the difference between Gesha coffee and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee?
Gesha's Discovery
The Geisha species (Geisha) was discovered in the Geisha forest in Ethiopia in 1931 and then sent to the Coffee Research Institute in Kenya. It was introduced to Uganda and Tanzania in 1936, and to Costa Rica in 1953. In the 1970s, Panama started planting Geisha coffee after Mr. Francisco Serrasin obtained seeds from CATIE in Costa Rica. In fact, Daniel was constantly cupping different harvest batches and noting the flavor of each batch, and then he realized that the flavor of a certain batch was a bit unique. The only way to find out the difference is to compare batch after batch.
After finding the batch, then go back and find out the harvest date and harvest area of the batch in the manor, and comprehensively review the batch information again, and finally summarize the exact harvest location of the batch, and trace the exact location of the harvest location. After determining the location, I started to observe the appearance, leaves and fruits of the coffee tree species one by one, and then I discovered Geisha. It is not as what the outside world has said. To put it simply, it took many times more effort and persistence than others to create the legendary species.
Geisha coffee has gone from being an unknown plant to becoming world-famous and has been introduced and planted by estates in many coffee-producing countries. This journey has not been easy. Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa and one of the most populous countries in the world.
Ethiopia is revered as the birthplace of coffee-Arabica. It has rich native varieties and a broad genetic sequence, many of which cannot be found in other countries. Ethiopian coffee is mostly grown by small farmers on their own small estates or in wild or semi-wild environments. Nearly 15 million people across the country are involved in the industry of growing and processing coffee beans. As the birthplace of the Arabica coffee variety, the history of coffee consumption can be traced back to the 10th century. The first African nomads to eat coffee cherries mixed coffee beans, oils and spices to make a refreshing and energy-replenishing food.
EthiopiaYirgacheffe
Yirgacheffe coffeeThe production area is a specialty coffee production area in Ethiopia and also a famous coffee production area. Yirgacheffe is located in Ethiopia on the African continent. Yirgacheffe is a small town in Gedeo. "Yirga" in Yirgacheffe means "settling down", and "cheffe" means wetland, so Yirgacheffe means "settle down in this wetland". The altitude of Yirgacheffe is quite high, reaching 1700-2200 meters. The average temperature is low, and the coffee grows and matures for a long time. Therefore, the more aromatic substances are absorbed, the richer the flavor of the coffee fruits.
The Yirgacheffe production area is mainly planted by small farmers. Farmers plant coffee trees in their backyards. Since coffee cannot bring profits all year round, it is mixed with other crops and planted, and it can also provide partial shade for the coffee trees. During the harvest season, farmers will bag the ripe coffee cherries and sell them to the cooperative for processing, and later sell the green coffee beans in the name of the cooperative. This is why we often see coffee beans named after cooperatives.
There are currently 28 member cooperatives in the Yirgacheffe production area, many of which are already familiar to us, such as the Dingding Cooperative, the Voka Cooperative, and the Konga Cooperative. Here we have to mention the washing processing technology of Yirgacheffe Cooperative. Front Street believes that a large part of the flavor of Yirgacheffe is due to washing processing.
The coffee beans from the Front Street Yirgacheffe production area were mainly processed by the most traditional sun-drying process at the beginning. Later, the washing process was introduced. For example, the Front Street red cherries are processed by sun-drying mature coffee berries. The particles of this front street sun-processed Yirgacheffe coffee are slightly larger. The coffee from this processing plant is considered to be a representative of high-quality Yirgacheffe. Its flavor always has a classic floral and lemon flavor.
Front Street bought more than a dozen coffee beans from Ethiopian producing countries, because the coffee flavors from various producing areas in Ethiopia are different. In order to let coffee friends taste more of the coffee flavor from the origin of Ethiopian coffee, Front Street bought a lot of coffee beans from different producing areas.
Although Geisha coffee comes from Ethiopia, how is it different from Yirgacheffe coffee?
The first is the different varieties.
Geisha coffee is a type of coffee of the Geisha variety. The Geisha variety was discovered in the Geisha forest in Ethiopia in 1931. It was later sent to a coffee research institute in Kenya. During this period, the Geisha variety was also introduced to Uganda and Tanzania. In 1953, Costa Rica also introduced Geisha. It was not until the 1970s that Geisha seeds took root in Panama. It can be said that the Geisha coffee we drink now is quite hard-won.
Yirgacheffe is a production area in Ethiopia. Most of the coffee produced there is local native species, also called Heirloon native species. Generally, you can see that the size and shape of beans are not uniform, because they may be mixed with multiple varieties. This is because Ethiopia, the genetic treasure house of coffee beans, has so many varieties that it is very difficult to identify and classify them. In addition, the local government has chosen not to disclose information on these varieties for protection, so they are collectively called native species.
In addition, the flavor of Geisha coffee in Ethiopia is different from that in Panama, which is mainly affected by the growing environment and climate. Although Ethiopia is the origin of coffee and is also very suitable for the growth of coffee, Geisha coffee has extremely picky requirements for the growing environment. It requires both shade trees and high altitude, fertile soil brought by volcanoes, forest planting, precipitation and sunshine, and meticulous artificial management...it can be said that all of them are indispensable. It is precisely because Panama’s environment and farmers have the above conditions that they are able to grow the Geisha flavor that is now famous internationally.
Panama
Panama is located in Central America, and is surrounded by high-quality coffee-producing countries. Costa Rica is on the left and Colombia is adjacent to the right. The local mountains run horizontally from east to west, and cold air flows through the central mountains and converges at an altitude of more than 6,500 feet, creating a unique microclimate in the Poquet and Candela areas. The temperatures here are comfortable and rainfall is abundant, which is very suitable for the growth of various plants.
Gesha coffee trees need to be grown in an environment with clouds and mist or plant shade, and cannot be directly exposed to the sun. The mountains in the Poquete production area are often covered by clouds and fog, and the days are humid and the nights are cool. Coupled with the fertile soil brought by the Baru volcano, these are favorable conditions for growing high-quality coffee like Gesha.
The higher the altitude where the coffee is grown, the longer it takes for the Gesha coffee berries to mature, absorb more nutrients, and the richer and more unique flavor expression. Geisha grown at high altitudes has a rich floral aroma, full juice, bright acidity, smooth taste, and rich flavor levels that are far superior to those grown at lower altitudes.
Emerald Manor
Jade Manor in Panama is the discoverer of Gesha coffee varieties and the promoter of Geisha coffee.
La Esmeralda is the most well-known. La Esmeralda’s coffee is mainly produced from its three farms: El Velo, Canas Verdes, and Jaramillo. In order to accurately manage coffee planting, Emerald Manor cupped coffee beans in different areas of the park and determined planting plots based on altitude. This gave rise to the Geisha grades we know as Emerald Red Label and Emerald Green Label.
Alida Manor
Elida Manor has a century-old history of coffee cultivation. It was founded by the Lamastus family in 1918 and has been passed down to the fourth generation by the owner. More than half of Alida's planting area is located within the Baru Volcano National Park, the highest in Central America. The microclimate and high-altitude planting environment brought by the volcano allow plants to grow superiorly. In addition to coffee, many rare high-altitude fruit varieties are grown here.
How to process coffee beans
Front Street Yirgacheffe coffee beans were first treated with the most traditional sun-dried method, and later the water-washed treatment method was introduced. The more famous ones are Front Street sun-dried red cherry coffee and Front Street washed Yirgacheffe coffee. Geisha coffee also has both sun-dried and washed coffee, such as: Emerald Manor’s Front Street Washed Green Label Gesha Coffee, Front Street Sun-Dried Red Label Gesha Coffee, and Front Street Washed Poquette Geisha Coffee.
Front Street brewing coffee parameters:
Since both Front Street Yirgacheffe coffee beans and Front Street Geisha coffee beans are lightly roasted, high-temperature hot water of 92°C is required during brewing to bring out the floral and fruity flavors in the coffee. Grinding Front Street recommends medium to fine grinding (Chinese standard No. 20 screen pass rate 80%). If it is too coarse, the mellow substances cannot be extracted, and the brewed coffee will appear thin. If it is too fine, it will easily be over-extracted at high water temperature, and the brewed coffee will be prone to bitterness.
The specific brewing parameters used by Front Street are: V60 filter cup, water temperature 91°C, water-to-powder ratio 1:15, powder amount 15g, medium-fine grinding degree (China No. 20 standard sieve pass rate 80%)
Front Street Coffee segmented extraction technique: first use 30g of water to fully moisten the powder layer and steam it in a "hamburger" shape for 30 seconds; inject water into the second segment to 125g at timer 1'00", then stop and wait until the water level drops to 2/3 of the powder layer and inject the third segment; the third segment is at timer 1 At 9;40", add water to 225g. After the coffee liquid is completely dripped, the total extraction time is 2"00". After the coffee extraction is completed, shake gently and wait until the coffee liquid is fully uniform before tasting.
Front Street Washed Yirgachade Coffee Flavor：Lemon, floral, orange, sucrose, overall clean and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste of honey and oolong tea aftertaste.
Flavor characteristics of Front Street sun-dried red cherry coffee：Lemon, licorice, tangerine, berry, sweet orange, the overall sweetness is relatively high, the aftertaste has the flavor of caramel and cream, and the aftertaste has the aroma of black tea.
Front Street Panama Washed PoquetteGeisha coffee flavor characteristics：The clear acidity of citrus, lemon, and bergamot brings a creamy and smooth taste when swallowed, and the sweetness of green tea and honey is at the end.
Front Street Panamanian Sun-Dried Alida Coffee Flavor Characteristics：Fermented aroma, roses, berries, citrus, green tea, cream, nuts.
Although Gesha coffee is delicious, not everyone will like it. After all, everyone likes different tastes. Some people may like the fresh floral aroma and bright fruity sour tone of Ethiopia; some like the pine and herbal nutty tone of Mandheling from Indonesia; and some may like the specially processed flavor of Costa Rica’s Front Street Mirasu coffee or the grape honey-processed flavor of Front Street Mozart coffee... In short, you still need to choose the beans you like to be the most suitable~
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
